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3601 E. 34th St. Tucson, AZ 85713 USA Tel. +1 520-882-6598 Fax +1 520-882-6599 email: pace@metallographic.com
Perhaps the most important parameter for precision sectioning is the abrasive size. Similar to
grinding and polishing, finer abrasives produce less damage. For extremely brittle materials,
finer abrasives are required to minimize and manage the damage produced during sectioning.
Sectioning with a fine abrasive wafering blade is often the only way that a specimen can be cut
so that the final polished specimen represents the true microstructure. Examples include
silicon computer chips, gallium arsenide, brittle glasses, ceramic composites, and
boron/graphite composites. The below figures compare the effects of cutting with a fine grit
blade vs. a standard medium grit blade for sectioning a boron graphite golf shaft. As can be
seen, the fine grit blade produces significantly less damage to boron fibers.
Fine diamond cut for boron graphite composite
The second most important blade characteristic is the abrasive concentration because it
directly effects the load which is applied during cutting. For example, brittle materials such as
ceramics require higher effective loads to efficiently section; whereas, ductile materials such
as metals require a higher abrasive concentration in order to have more cutting points. The
result is that low concentration blades are recommended for sectioning hard brittle materials
such as ceramics and high concentration blades are recommended for ductile materials
containing a large fraction of metal or plastic.
TIP: Minimizing the amount of damage created during sectioning can significantly
reduce the amount of time required for grinding and polishing
Please read this instruction manual carefully and follow all installation, operating and safety guidelines.
PICO-200 Table Saw
I
NSTRUCTION
Medium grit diamond cut for boron graphite composite
M
ANUAL
Web: http://www.metallographic.com
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