Metallographic preparation techniques for ceramic materials

摘要

With the increasing use of ceramic materials in many industrial areas, applied metallographic sample preparation techniques are used to produce true microstructural detail in ceramic materials. Due to the extreme hardness, porosity and brittleness of ceramic materials, improper ceramic preparation techniques tend to cause intergranular relief, grain plucking, grain fracturing, or other undesirable effects. Because of these inherent characteristics, care must be taken in the preparation of ceramic material. For example, defects such as cracking of the specimen can be initiated during the sectioning step and can also occur if improper mounting procedures are used. Pullout of grains which result from improper sectioning or a grinding technique that is too severe can also cause problems in later stages of preparation. To minimize any defects or a false microstructure, the metallographer must not only preform each step of sample preparation accurately, but must also have a clear understanding of the intended purpose for each specific sequence of preparation steps. 3 refs., 6 figs.