cutting glass into thin sections

What do you want to do when you are done? Are you examining the glass? Are you assembling these thin slices? Are you covering something small? How thin? 3mm? (Square) 0.3mm? (thickness of 3 sheets of light aluminum foil)

We used to cut ~3mm thick sections of irregular lumps of glass by potting them in filled polyester resin (car repair kits) and then slicing them on a diamond wheel saw. To get thinner sections we ground them down on a lap wheel.

I've heard of people making very thin sections with a microtome.

I would try the resin potting method first of all. It's holding the work piece that is the most difficult part. Potting solves that. AS always, use lots of water and don't go too quickly.

Yes - I am examining the glass both physically (refractive index) and chemically (elemental analysis). I want a thin cross section of the

As thin as possible I guess - is it possible to get it down to 0.3mm without it breaking?

Have to agree with "terry" about the potting method. Used this many times while still in the work force. (retired) Don't know what else is available in your lab, but we did both refractive and elemental analysis. The sample should be small and can be lapped on the lapping wheel using diamond pastes of reducing micron grits.

Unless you need to get into the organic parts of the glass, a scanning electron micrscope fitted with energy dispersive x-ray will give you elements down to carbon, but not below. Good luck, and let us know how you finally accomplished it.

Hal

I am very interested in this idea. Do you have anymore information about it? What sort of microtome would you use - some sort of diamond tipped saw I imagine?

Thanks JAD

Perhaps a stupid sugestion , perhaps let it melt down to the right tickness ??

Cheers

Not a bad idea - but by melting it down and re-annealing you are more than likely to be changing the physical and chemical properties of the glass, which is no good for my application.

JAD

Glass will not cast down to that thin a section. The physical characteristics of glass will permit it to flow to a 6mm thickness and no more. As an aside, casting a glass does not change the chemical properties of the glass as the temperature for casting is below the vapor pressure of the glass constituents. Annealing thin section of glass is not an issue either as at 6mm the glass will be more or less self annealed. If you have access to someone who is a glass blower you can blow glass to sections thinner than a hair.

jad_23