Metallographic Polishing Pads / Cloths
PACE Technologies offers a wide range of metallographic polishing pads and cloths engineered to deliver superior surface finishes and consistent results. Our consumables support both rough and final polishing stages, ensuring optimal flatness, minimal artifacts, and enhanced reproducibility. Suitable for use with a variety of polishing suspensions, these pads are ideal for preparing samples for microstructural analysis across multiple material types.
Key Tips for Polishing Pads
- Choose the Right Texture: Use soft pads for final polishing, harder ones for rough stages.
- Match with Suspensions: Pair with alumina, diamond, or colloidal silica as needed.
- Back for Your Setup: Pick adhesive or magnetic backing based on your platen type.
- Use Across Materials: Suitable for metals, ceramics, and composites.
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Introduction
Selecting the right metallographic polishing pad is essential for achieving precise, repeatable surface finishes in sample preparation. Pads vary in nap height, backing type, and material composition, which impacts abrasive support, flatness, and edge retention. Low-napped pads paired with diamond abrasives are used in rough polishing to remove grinding damage, while high-napped cloths and fine abrasives like alumina or colloidal silica are ideal for final polishing. Choosing the correct pad minimizes artifacts such as edge rounding, relief, and smear, ensuring accurate microstructural analysis.
Polishing Pad (PSA) Selection Guideline
| Pad Image & Link | Use Case | Pad Icon | Polishing Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
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CERMESH metal mesh pad used for semi-fixed abrasive coarse to intermediate lapping. Excellent for initial removal of damage from sectioning and hard materials. |
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Coarse / Intermediate |
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POLYPAD is a durable synthetic polyester pad ideal for intermediate polishing, especially with 6–15 µm diamond abrasives. Designed as a long-life nylon alternative. |
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Intermediate |
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TEXPAN is a widely used non-woven intermediate polishing pad, compatible with most diamond suspensions. Effective across a broad range of materials. |
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Intermediate |
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Black CHEM 2 is a porometric polymer pad with rubber-like consistency, offering balanced action between low and high nap pads. Ideal for moderate nap intermediate polishing. |
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Intermediate |
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DACRON II is a low-napped soft polishing pad widely used in Europe for intermediate steps on metals. Suitable for 1–15 µm diamond abrasives. |
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Intermediate |
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NYPAD is a low-napped silk pad tailored for intermediate polishing of harder metals and alloys. Performs well with mid-size diamond abrasives. |
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Intermediate |
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GOLD PAD is a low-napped pad ideal for 1–9 µm polishing. Designed for consistent material removal and flatness control during final pre-polishing. |
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Intermediate |
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ATLANTIS is a woven low-nap final polishing pad with foam backing for enhanced compliance. Ideal for 1–6 µm diamond. Great for critical surface flatness needs. |
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Final |
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MICROPAD is a high-napped final polishing pad ideal for producing a mirror finish on metals and polymers. Recommended for <1 µm diamond or colloidal silica. |
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Final |
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TRICOTE is a tight high-napped final polishing pad for metals. Offers better control of surface texture and minimal abrasive drag. |
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Final |
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NAPPAD is a very high-napped final polishing pad tailored for soft metals and polymers. Provides gentle polishing action to minimize pull-out and relief. |
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Final |
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MOLTEC 2 is a wool-based final polishing cloth used when edge retention is not critical. Works well with alumina and colloidal silica on metals. |
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Final |
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FELT PAD is a thick final polishing pad made for large samples or glass. Ideal for use with colloidal silica or alumina slurries where surface uniformity is key. |
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Final |
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Process Description
Polishing typically involves two stages: rough and final. Rough polishing removes deformation from grinding using low-napped pads and polycrystalline diamond abrasives. Final polishing uses high-napped cloths and finer abrasives such as alumina or colloidal silica to eliminate minor defects. Excessive polishing can cause artifacts like relief, edge rounding, and smear, so polishing time should be minimized.
Minimizing Polishing Artifacts
To reduce edge rounding, phase relief, smear, and grain pull-out:
- Minimize sectioning and grinding damage upfront
- Use the finest effective abrasive at each stage
- Ensure polishing plates are flat (≤2.5 µm runout for 8" plates)
Recommended Procedures
- Place pad on a flat lap plate
- Pre-charge pad with abrasive suspension, paste, or powder
- Apply appropriate lubricant
- Begin polishing with reduced force to avoid tearing
- Clean specimen and pad during the last 10–15 seconds
- Clean and dry specimens thoroughly
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse Scratching | Contamination on polishing pad | Replace pad with a new one |
| Tearing of Pad | Excessive force or poor lubrication | Reduce force and improve lubrication frequency |
| Excessive Relief / Edge Rounding | Improper pad selection or prolonged polishing | Use appropriate pad; shorten polishing time and reevaluate prior steps |