the effect of carbon content of the mechanical properties - McMaster ...

M.A.Sc. Thesis – E. E. Yang McMaster – Materials Science & Engineering
after each polishing step to avoid contamination from cloths, lubricants or other factors.
Water was sed as a lubricant and for cleaning at early polishing stages and not used at
finer polishing stages, with samples rinsed with ethanol instead. The polishing procedure
followed is outlined in Table 9.4. The OM was used between steps to examine the
surface for significant scratches and if steps needed to be repeated.
Table 9.4 Polishing Steps
Cloth Time (min) Load (N) Lubricant
SiC-800 5 5 Water
SiC-1200 10 5
SiC-2400 10 5
SiC-2400 10 5
MD-Dac 3μm diamond 15 10 BLUE
MD-Nap 1μm diamond 15 10
9.5 Detailed Etching Conditions
The solution of 5% nitric acid in methanol was prepared each time prior to etching in
order to ensure fresh etchant for maximum effectiveness in revealing the microstructure.
The samples were immersed and swabbed with the etchant for approximately 45 seconds
to reveal the microstructural features. All sample rinsing and cleaning was performed
with ethanol to avoid adverse reactions of the sample surface
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