Sample Preparation for Han Dynasty Bronze Mirrors- Trojan (Suzhou) material technology Co., Ltd.

Sample Preparation for Han Dynasty Bronze Mirrors

29-07-2026

The Han Dynasty marked the golden age of ancient Chinese bronze mirror craftsmanship. Mirrors were predominantly cast from a ternary alloy of lead, tin and copper with a classic ratio roughly 14:5:1. Lead improves the fluidity of molten alloy, enabling sharply defined decorative patterns, stable forming and mass production — a remarkable achievement of Han metallurgical technology.

Han Bronze Mirror Microstructure Overview

Figure 1: Initial overview of Han bronze mirror sample preparation.

Metallographic Challenges

After thousands of years underground, these bronze mirrors develop porosity, segregation and corrosion layers. These unique microstructures create major challenges for metallographic sample preparation of cultural relics.

Key challenges of Han bronze mirror metallography: Uneven hardness across the specimen; lead phases prone to shedding. Grinding easily causes scratches and surface deformation. Loosely bonded corrosion layers tend to peel off during polishing, creating false features that distort observations of the original casting microstructure.

Figure 2: Detailed view showcasing porosity and structural characteristics.

Truly Workflow Solutions

Truly has developed a complete workflow to solve these difficulties:

Table-CUT200 automatic precision cutting minimizes thermal damage
Sequential grinding with graded abrasive papers (paraffin can be applied as needed)
ThetaVAC-2 vacuum impregnation fills irregular pores to achieve superior metallographic imaging
Diamond polishing suspension followed by silica final polishing removes fine scratches and surface deformation
Ultrasonic cleaning for porous areas

Figure 3: Microstructure after implementing the specialized preparation workflow.

This workflow preserves intact original microstructures, accurately revealing casting techniques of Han bronze mirrors and delivering reliable data for cultural heritage research.

Recommended Preparation Parameters

Grinding: MET-SP P800–2500
Rough polishing: SC + 0.05μm Super
Final polishing: ZN + 0.05μm 439

Figure 4: High-magnification final result showing preserved phases.

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