ALUMINUM (Al) METALLOGRAPHY LABORATORY

Aluminum is a relatively soft material that can be difficult to metallographically prepare due to the oxide inclusions in the microstructure. If the sample isn’t properly handled, it can lead to scratching and/or smearing from these inclusions. Touchstone has over 20 years of experience preparing literally thousands of aluminum and aluminum alloy samples. Projects have included aluminum sample preparation for alloy development as well as failure analysis investigations.

Touchstone is equipped to provide aluminum metallography services that encompass initial sample preparation such as cutting and mounting as well as polishing, etching, and even image analysis through the use of our stereomicroscopes, inverted light microscope, or one of our three scanning electron microscopes (SEM).

Some common preparation techniques and testing of aluminum metallographic samples include:

– Silicon Particle Enhancement with 1/2 % HF Etch

– Bend Testing on Aluminum

– Clad Thickness Measurements on Aluminum

– Grain Size Measurements on Aluminum

– Pit Depth Measurements on Aluminum

– Pressurized Evaporator/Condenser Evalutations

– Silicon Particle Distribution in Aluminum