Stainless steel usually refers to high alloy steel with good chemical stability in solutions such as atmosphere, water, acid, alkali, salt, or other corrosive media. The preparation of metallographic samples for stainless steel is similar to that of ordinary high alloy steel, and the QMAXIS metallographic sample preparation plan for stainless steel is for your reference.

After being eroded by 10% Picric acid solution, the magnification is 400X, and the microstructure picture of 316L stainless steel

    The specific preparation steps for stainless steel samples are as follows:

    Cutting: The QMAXIS metallographic cutting machine selects grinding wheels with a hardness range of HRC35 to HRC50 for cutting materials.

    Embedding: Hot press inlay machine, using QMAXIS black phenolic resin powder as the inlay material

    Mechanical sample preparation: Metpol-A

    Note: Comp. refers to the rotation of the sample fixture and the grinding disc in the same direction, Contra refers to the reverse rotation of the sample fixture and the grinding disc

    Etching: Etching with 10% Picric acid solution

    Attention: When polishing with diamond polishing paste/liquid, add QMAXIS DiaFluid water-based polishing lubricant as a lubricant and dispersant. After each polishing step, it is necessary to clean with alcohol or distilled water and dry the sample with compressed air. After the nitric acid alcohol solution corrodes, the sample needs to be washed clean with distilled water first, then cleaned with anhydrous alcohol, and dried with compressed air or a hair dryer.

    Can the above preparation methods help you solve the sample preparation problem? For more technical guidance, please contact QMAXIS customer service or application engineers.