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Grinding and polishing involve a step-by-step reduction of the roughness of a surface to access the undeformed structure.

This process is based on using abrasive particles in progressively finer grain sizes. In materialographic grinding, these abrasives are bonded in resin or metal matrix, with the most frequently used grinding abrasives being silicon carbide particles. These particles are often used when working with softer, medium or hard materials, composites and electronics. It is also possible to utilize diamond particles for harder components like ceramics, carbides, glass or stone. Operators should always select abrasives that are harder than the material being prepared.

(Credit: AZO Materials)The use of bonded abrasives yields a high abrasion rate which is ideal for removing rust surface deformations from the cutting process, or material blocking the area of interest, but also for achieving a high degree of flatness.

Metallographic grinding can be categorized as planar grinding, fine grinding or ultra-fine grinding, with the classification depending on the size of the abrasive particles.

Polishing processes involve loose abrasives which roll over the surface. This is gentler and leads to a better surface finish but also yields lower removal rates. Metallographic polishing eliminates any remaining roughness from the grinding process, ensuring a good surface finish for further examination.

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