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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
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for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Preparing cross section for verifying plating thickness
Q. Chrome plating to AMS2406 .00020/.00050
Material is 440c
Outside lab is measuring plate thickness with a microscope in 5 places per ASTM B487 and reporting each reading then averaging the 5 readings per the ASTM testing spec but is rejecting the job if a single reading drifts out of tolerance even though the specification instructs you to report the "average". I've talked to many "experts" and half tell me to use the average and the other half tell me to reject is a single reading is out. What is the consensus here relative to making the accept/reject decision based on an average.
- Huntington Beach
February 9, 2021
⇩ Related postings, oldest first ⇩
Q. Hello all,
I am working on a small project involving copper that is plated in tin. I have been tasked to find the thickness of the plating. Every time I try to cross cut the sample, I contaminate the copper and I am unable to see the plating thickness under the SEM. I am very new at this and would appreciate any assistance in methods of verifying the plating thickness.
Best Regards,
CW
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
2006
A. This is a perennial problem, but there is a method for this in ASTM Volume 02.05 / ASTM B487. I don't have a copy, so can't refer but there might be guidance there.
You don't say if you are dealing with just copper on tin, or both on another substrate. Also how you are preparing the section is paramount. If just copper on tin, and depending on relative thicknesses, I would try cutting at an angle to increase the thickness of the coating and correct back for the angle.
Best of luck, and rather you than me.
Ship Repair - Plymouth, UK
2006
A. Chad,
Without knowing anything about the part you are cross sectioning, I can not suggest the right way to actually cut the sample. I have had the best luck using high carbide routing bits to cut samples. The polish you use for final polishing should be compatible with both copper and tin. DI water should also be used to wet your polishing wheel. Cross sectioning suppliers can be a big help to people new at the job. See if your supplier can send a tech to your plant to work with you for awhile. Hope this helps!
Process Engineer - Syracuse, New York
2006
A. You may have to plate the part in the lab with copper since the tin is so soft. I switched from bakelite mounts to epoxy mounts for plated parts.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
2006
A. Depending on the dimensions of the part, and your target thickness for the tin layer, XRF may be your best bet. I don't have the specs for my XRF handy, but the tin layer would have to be fairly thin, most likely in the <0.5 mil range.
Jeff Martenanalytical - Colorado Springs, Colorado
2007
Q. I work in a coatings company and we want to start doing our own cross sectioning to examine coating thicknesses. Looking for the right literature or classes for information on materials and techniques to use
Mike CookR&D Technician - Eden Valley, Minnesota, USA
April 8, 2011
A. I'd start by contacting the vendors of cross sectioning equipment.
James Totter, CEF
- Tallahassee, Florida
April 11, 2011
Thanks for the input Jim
R&D Tech. - Eden Valley, Minnesota
April 15, 2011
A. Struers and Buehler have a lot of information available for download from their websites. Here is one example for preparation of zinc coatings:
www.struers.com/resources/elements/12/2459/36art1.pdf
Automotive component & module supplier - Michigan, USA
April 18, 2011
A. Try plating the tin with a harder metal such as nickel. The adhesion may not be brilliant, but it will do a job. Then cut your section, but at an angle. The trick is to cut the angle as far away from the vertical to your surface as possible, so cut it at a very shallow angle parallel to the surface. You should then polish the section and inspect it under a microscope.
The nickel will protect the tin and prevent it smearing and the amount of tin you see in your section will be related to the actual thickness by the cosine of the angle you have cut the section away from the vertical to the tin surface - simple schoolboy geometry!
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
Q. Hello dear,
I am studying carbon nanotube thin films. My problems is thickness measurement method; please help me to the way for measurement by SEM cross section.
Sincerely
Amir
- Ahvaz, Khozestan, Iran
April 24, 2013
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