How to Prevent Embedded Abrasives

In very soft and ductile materials, embedded abrasives can occur when abrasive particles are physically forced into the metal surface and become stuck.

This is most common in materials like pure aluminium and copper. However, any ductile material can suffer from this, if the preparation force is too high.

To prevent this, follow these adjustments:

1. Reduce the force: Lower pressure prevents diamonds from being pushed into the surface.
2. Change to a softer cloth to utilise its resilience, which helps seat the abrasive within the textile rather than the sample surface.
3. Use a diamond suspension with higher viscosity. A more viscous suspension helps the diamonds stay on the surface rather than entering the material:
   • Use DiaDoublo, our most viscous 2-in-1 suspension. It is specifically designed to prevent embedding.
   • Change to a two-bottle system if diamonds still get embedded. Use Aka-Mono with Aka-Lube Red to create a thicker protective film.
4. Finish with oxide polishing: If embedded abrasives are found during the 1 µm (micrometer) step, perform final polishing with oxide polishing instead. Many methods for soft and ductile materials go directly from 3 µm diamond polishing to oxide polishing.