How is cast iron polished? What are some of the issues that come up? How is the microstructure analyzed? These are some of the topics that are faced when preparing these samples through mechanical polishing. Finding a good grinding and polishing procedure is an important step toward preparing the sample for microstructural analysis. Abrasives, cloths, carriers and other factors all play a role in obtaining the true microstructure. As the inner graphite nodules are different in composition to the surrounding matrix, it can be a challenge to keep the graphite structure intact. Once a good polish is obtained, analysis of the graphite can be performed based on the ISO 945-1 standard.
 
Jessica Enos is from the small town of Napa Valley in Northern California. She graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2013 with a Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science Engineering. Jessica joined Allied High Tech Products, Inc. as a Materials Engineer, preparing samples for metallurgical analysis, assisting with technical services questions on equipment and consumables, testing new products, and performing image analysis.