At the polishing stage of sample preparation, polishing cloth and polishing solution are selected based on one's own material characteristics and experimental purposes, and polishing is carried out according to the steps set in the sample preparation method. There are standardized guidelines in textbooks, teachers, and mentors.
However, often at different time periods, self prepared samples do not yield consistent results under microscopic observation.
This is likely a common phenomenon in sample preparation:; Add a little polishing suspension agent to the polishing solution; This little trick has been overlooked!
Today, the application engineer of Chain Metallography will take you to take a look at this commonly encountered phenomenon& Flash; Non suspension of polishing fluid and uneven suspension of polishing fluid&flash& Flash; How to use the addition of polishing suspension agent to dissolve.

When you purchase a suspended metallographic polishing solution
Whether it is using a 6oz [180ml] small packaging directly or pouring a 1gal [3.8L] large packaging into a 32oz [950ml] small packaging for use; Whether it is manual infusion or programmed infusion by an automatic liquid feeding system, the usual method is to manually shake well. For special materials and experimental purposes, place them in a homogenizer to thoroughly shake.
2. When you purchase a non suspended metallographic polishing solution and use polishing powder and paste to make your own polishing solution
At this point, the vast majority of operators usually overlook an important professional skill during manual and mechanical mixing& Flash; Suspension agent.
Before the introduction of QMAXIS (Kemai) polishing fluid suspension agent into China, the problem of how to evenly suspend the polishing fluid encountered in the material preparation process was always solved by manual and mechanical stirring. During operation, there are too many human factors, and it is impossible to judge with the naked eye whether micron and nanoscale abrasives are evenly distributed in the suspension. This can easily lead to polishing according to the sample preparation method, but the polished surface often fails or is not satisfactory. It is difficult to achieve consistency during occasional polishing.
It was only after QMAXIS introduced the polishing liquid suspension technology solution to the materials laboratory in China that it caught the attention of material preparation engineers& Flash; Polishing fluid suspension should be added!
How to use QMAXIS (Kemai) polishing fluid suspension agent?
3.1 Non suspended metallographic polishing solution
Diamond polishing fluid, alumina polishing fluid, cerium oxide polishing fluid, and other polishing fluids are all non suspended types, and there may also be application scenarios with high concentrations that require dilution. Add 5% deionized water and 1% polishing solution suspension agent to the fine polishing solution according to the concentration set by oneself. Shake well with a homogenizer or stirrer.
3.2 Self made polishing solution with polishing powder and paste
When preparing polishing solution with diamond micro powder, high-purity alumina polishing powder or polishing paste, it is recommended to mix deionized water, powder or paste, and QMAXIS (Kemai) polishing solution suspension agent in a volume ratio of 80%: 15%: 5%. This type of powder or paste needs to be used as a self-made polishing solution with a stirrer. Due to the much smaller usage of each batch in the materials laboratory compared to the ultra precision surface processing workshop, the difficulty of mixing is not significant. Mix micro powder or paste with deionized water, stir for 10 minutes with a portable mixer, add QMAXIS (Kemai) polishing solution suspension, and continue stirring for 5 minutes.
The application engineers of Chain Metallography have conducted various application tests on the QMAXIS (Kemai) polishing fluid suspension agent, and the results confirm that the addition of the polishing fluid suspension agent not only solves the problem of uniform suspension of abrasive in the polishing fluid, but also greatly improves polishing efficiency and quality due to its unique fluidity, lubricity, and cooling ability. The overlooked tip has played a crucial role. Friends who work in metallography and application engineers of Chain Metallography are welcome to share their experience and skills in sample preparation, making work easier and more effective through a small improvement.