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Alumino-silicate Glass Ceramic
Specimen Preparation (Class 11 Procedures)
Metallographic Class 11 sample preparation  

Glass ceramics are unique materials that have very samll crystalline structures. The primary advantage of glass ceramics is that they produce very interesting thermochemical properties because they are impervious to thermal shock.

Proper microstructural preparation of these materials requires minimizing damage during cutting or sectioning. Therefore, the most important step in the preparation of glass ceramics is sectioning. If the glass ceramic is chipped or excessively cracked during sectioning, it may be impossible to remove this damage. Wafer sectioning with a fine grit diamond wafering blade is essential.

Planar grinding is accomplished with diamond on a metal mesh cloth to minimize cracking and subsurface damage. For rough polishing, the use of a low-napped polishing pad with polycrystalline diamond and colloidal silica eliminates most of the surface and subsurface damage. Final polishing is accomplished with a resilient porous urethane polishing pad such as BLACKCHEM 2 using SIAMAT colloidal silica.

SECTIONING
Diamond Wafering blade - fine grit / low concentration

MOUNTING Castable Mounting with Epoxy or Acrylic resins

POLISHING
Abrasive/surface Lubricant Force/ sample Speed
(Head/base)
Time Individual
Force mode
Central Force
mode
70 micron diamond grinding disk*
Water 5-10 lbs 200/200 rpm Planar
  Metallographic central polishing force
30 um DIAMAT diamond
suspension on CERMESH Metal
Mesh cloth
  5-10 lbs 200/200 rpm 5 min Metallographic individual polishing force Metallographic central polishing force
6 um DIAMAT diamond
on TEXPAN polishing pad
SIAMAT
colloidal silica
10 lbs 200/200 rpm 5 min Metallographic individual polishing force Metallographic central polishing force
1 um DIAMAT diamond
on GOLDPAD or ATLANTIS
polishing pad
SIAMAT
colloidal silica
10 lbs 200/200 rpm 5 min Metallographic individual polishing force Metallographic central polishing force
SIAMAT Colloidal silca
on TEXPAN polishing pad
  10 lbs 200/200 rpm 5 min Metallographic individual polishing force Metallographic central polishing force

*Required for central polishing force. Click here for more information on central vs. individual polishing force polishing.

Metallographic cutting with fine grit diamond wafering blade Metallographic diamond cutting with incorrect wafering blade
Fine grit diamond wafering blade Medium grit diamond wafering blade
Metallographic micrograph of alumino-silicate glass ceramic
Alumino-silicate glass ceramic, 400X (Polarized light)
as polished

ETCHING

Common Etchants
PACE Technologies Recommended Etchants

PACE Technologies Etchant Database

CAUTION:Safety is very important when etching. Be sure to wear the appropriate protective clothing and observe all WARNINGS on chemical manufacuters SDS (Safety Data Sheets). Also review the COMMENTS and CONDITIONS Section for each etchant.


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