1018 furnace cooled steel is a soft steel consisting of a pearlite and ferrite structure. The challenge in microstructural preparation of this material is the tendency for the material to smear. This smearing has a tendency to mask scratching which is more apparent following etching.
To minimize this effect of smearing, the use of tightly graded nanometer alumina with a polish-etch-polish sequence should eliminate this problem.
SECTIONING
MAXCUT Abrasive blade (Cat. No. MAX-D or MAX-E series)
MOUNTING
Compression Mounting with Phenolic, Epoxy or Diallyl Phthalate compression mounting resins
POLISHING
Abrasive/surface |
Lubricant |
Force/ sample |
Time |
320 grit SiC paper |
Water |
5 lbs |
Until plane |
1 um DIAMAT diamond on GOLDPAD polishing pad |
DIALUBE Purple Extender |
5 lbs |
2 minutes |
0.05 um Nanometer alumina on TRICOTE polishing pad |
|
5 lbs |
30 seconds |
 |
1018 Furnace cooled steel, 1000X (polarized light), etched with 2% nital. Structure is Ferrite and Pearlite |