Specimen preparation

Abstract

We can see the true structures of materials only if we examine properly prepared specimens. Preparations of such specimens requires considerable skill that is developed only with much practice. Usually, it involves first cutting a small specimen from more massive material, because microscopes cannot deal with very large objects and preparation of large specimens is extremely difficult, and then preparing a surface or slice that can be examined under the microscope. The methods for preparing specimens of the different classes of materials are described below.