A Polishing-free Etching Method for Microstructure Observation of Fine-grained Ceramics

Abstract

Microstructural studies are very important because of their decisive role in the properties of advanced ceramics. During the sample preparation process, it is critical to grind, polish, and etch the fracture surface of the ceramic for effective microstructure observation. Here, a sample preparation process is proposed by directly etching the fracture surface of the ceramic without the time-consuming grinding and polishing. We used this method to create micrographs for MgAl2O4, Al2O3, and ZrO2 ceramics with an average grain size less than 1 μm; these were clearly resolved by SEM. More importantly, the damage resulting from grinding or polishing is minimized and SEM images taken from samples prepared via this new method are closer to the original morphology of the microstructures. This method also greatly simplifies the sample preparation process and is especially suitable for fine-grained ceramics.