This chapter covers a wide range of finishing and coating operations, including cleaning, honing, polishing and buffing, and lapping. It discusses the use of rust-preventative compounds, conversion coatings, and plating metals as well as weld overlay, thermal spray, and ceramic coatings and various pack cementation and deposition processes. It also discusses the selection and use of industrial paints and paint application methods.

Specimen preparation is the first step that determines the quality of the microstructural information that can be obtained using optical microscopy. This chapter describes the sample preparation methods that are applicable to most types of composite materials containing short discontinuous or continuous fibers. The sample preparation methods cover documentation and labeling of samples, sectioning the composite, clamp-mounting composite samples, mounting composite samples in casting resins, and the addition of contrast dyes to casting resins. Information on the molds used for mounting composite materials is provided. The steps recommended to achieve a good mounted specimen without voids or specimen pull-out are also described. The chapter discusses the processes for clamping mounted composite samples in automated polishing heads and mounting composite materials for hand polishing. A summary of the mounting technique is also included.

Rough grinding and polishing of mounted specimens are required to prepare the composite sample for optical analysis. This chapter describes these techniques for preparing composite materials. First, it provides information on grinding and polishing equipment and describes the processes and process variables for sample preparation. Then, the chapter discusses the processes of abrasive sizing for grinding and rough polishing. Next, it provides a summary of grinding methods, rough polishing, and final polishing. Finally, information on common polishing artifacts that can result from any of the steps is provided.

The most common methods for preparing polymeric composites for microscopic analysis can be used for most fiber-reinforced composite materials. There are, however, a few composite materials that require special preparation techniques. This chapter discusses the processes involved in the preparation of titanium honeycomb composites, boron fiber composites, titanium/polymeric composite hybrids, and uncured prepreg materials.

Transmitted-light methods reveal more details of the morphology of fiber-reinforced polymeric composites than are observable using any other available microscopy techniques. This chapter describes the various aspects relating to the selection and preparation of ultrathin-section specimens of fiber-reinforced polymeric composites for examination by transmitted-light microscopy techniques. The preparation steps covered are a selection of the rough section, preparation of the rough section for preliminary mounting, grinding and polishing the primary-mount first surface, mounting the first surface on a glass slide, and preparing the second surface (top surface). The optimization of microscope conditions and analysis of specimens by microscopy techniques are also covered. In addition, examples of composite ultrathin sections that are analyzed using transmitted-light microscopy contrast methods are shown throughout.

This chapter explains how to safely prepare beryllium alloy samples for metallographic analysis. It describes grinding, polishing, and etching procedures in detail. It also discusses the identification of major and minor constituents and the general appearance of beryllium microstructure.

This appendix is a compilation of tables helpful to metallographers in characterizing irons and steels. The tables include AISI/SAE designations and specific composition ranges for various steels and irons, listings of companies that sell metallographic equipment and supplies, and compositions and usage guidance for etchants, chemical polishing solutions, and coatings.

This appendix contains recipes of the electrolytic solutions in which various metals are polished in preparation for metallographic examination.

This appendix lists attack-polishing solutions and procedures used in metallographic sample preparation.

This appendix lists chemical polishing solutions and procedures used in metallographic sample preparation.

This appendix provides detailed information on the processes and procedures used in electrolytic polishing. It lists important process parameters, including time, temperature, voltage, and current density, as well as the recipes of electrolytic solutions used. The information is presented in tabular form, corresponding to specific metals and their alloys.