The metallographic sample not only needs to be cleaned before inlaying, but also needs to be cleaned before changing the grinding particle size every time, that is, before entering the next process, to prevent large particle pollutants from contaminating the metallographic sample. The cleaning mentioned in this article is mainly aimed at the metallographic samples after precision polishing, and of course, it can also be used in other stages of grinding and polishing.

1、 Simple cleaning

After polishing the sample, rinse it with clean water (tap water) and blow dry.

This method is relatively simple and rough, and is only suitable for situations with low requirements. Drying can be done using a household hair dryer or a high-pressure air spray gun. It should be noted that after the water dries up, spots will form on the surface of the sample, contaminating it. Therefore, it is recommended to use cold air to blow it away, as hot air is not conducive to the removal of water.

If the sample material is prone to react with water and cause corrosion, do not use this method or accelerate the cleaning speed.

If the polishing agent on the surface of the sample is not easy to remove by cleaning, it needs to be scrubbed with Cotton wool.

2、 Clean with anhydrous ethanol

After polishing the sample, rinse it thoroughly with clean water (tap water), then rinse off with anhydrous ethanol and blow dry.

Of course, you can directly rinse the surface of the sample with anhydrous ethanol without using water. In this way, the easy volatilization of anhydrous ethanol can be utilized to prevent the cleaning agent from drying up on the surface of the sample and contaminating it. This method has a wide range of applications and can meet high cleaning requirements.

If there is any contamination on the surface of the sample that is not easy to wash, wipe the metallographic sample with Cotton wool dipped with absolute ethanol.

3、 Ultrasonic cleaning

After polishing the sample, clean it preliminarily with absolute alcohol, put it into the Ultrasonic cleaning, soak it in absolute alcohol or ultrasonic cleaner, clean it with ultrasonic, and blow it dry.

After ultrasonic cleaning, it is necessary to rinse again with anhydrous ethanol.

This method can meet the requirements of electron microscopy sample preparation. Compared to simple mechanical cleaning, the cleaning effect is better and can better meet the high requirements of sample preparation standards.

If you want to learn more about metallographic sample preparation, please visit the official website www.qmaxis.cn for technical exchange with QMAXIS engineers, or visit the QMAXIS testing laboratory in Nanjing for on-site testing.