Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Cutting Procedures, Tensile Testing, and Ageing of Flexible Unidirectional Composite Laminates
Published on: April 27, 2019
Effect of Cutting with an Abrasive Saw on Swarf Composition
Tsadok Tsach1, Nir Finkelstein1, Osnat Israelsohn-Azulay1
1Scientific Officers Toolmarks and Materials Laboratory, Division of Identification and Forensic Science, Israel Police Headquarters, Jerusalem, 91906, Israel.
Abstract:
Crime scene investigators are often asked to examine swarf from break-in sites and compare it with swarf found on a suspect. Occasionally, elemental composition of swarf from these two sources does not match. It is generally assumed that cutting metal does not induce changes in chemical composition. However, this study shows that, if a matrix contains iron, chromium, and nickel, composition of swarf produced from cutting the matrix with an abrasive saw may indeed alter. In this study, we cut a stainless steel sheet using a standard cutoff saw. Swarf was sorted and chemically analyzed by EDS/SEM, and the following relationships between chip morphology and modified composition were discovered: elongated chips remained unchanged; changes in the irregular chips appeared to be random, possibly because they are formed in a number of different ways; composition of spherical chips changed with size.
Related Concept Videos
Abrasion Resistance of Concrete
One such test is the revolving disc test, where three plates...
Classifying Matter by Composition
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
A mixture is composed of two or...
Cut-off Frequency of BJT
Alpha Cut-Off Frequency: Pertinent to the common-base configuration, the alpha cut-off frequency defines the upper-frequency limit at which the current gain, alpha, remains stable. As...
Brick Cutting Techniques
Cut bricks are categorized by size. Bricks cut to half their original length are called half-bats, while those cut to three-fourths their length are known as three-fourth bats.
Special types of...
Composite Bodies
Composite bodies have widespread applications in mechanical engineering, from automobiles to aircraft to rockets. For example, an automobile wheel comprises...
Composition of Blood
Formed elements constitute the remaining 45% of the blood volume. These...

