SURFACE PREPARATION OF METALLOGRAPHIC SPECIMENS OF ZIRCONIUM-BASE ALLOYS CONTAINING COPPER

A combination of chemical and electrolytic polishing was successful in the metallographic preparation of Zr--1% Cu and Zr--1.6% Cu alloys. Chemical polishing produced flat surfaces that were suitable for examination with polarized light but were not suitable for examination with bright-field illumination. Electrolytic polishing applied to ground or mechanically polished specimens produced surfaces that were well etched but often were pitted heavily. A chemical polish followed by a short electrolytic polish produced microstructures suitable for examination with both bright-field and polarized light at high or low magnifications. (auth