Diamond pastes have been and continue to be commonly used for hand or manual polishing steps because they are easy to apply and the diamond can be better charged or fixed into the polishing pad as compared to diamond suspensions. They are less commonly used on automated polishing machines because diamond suspensions are easier to apply and they also have a built-in lubricant. The use of diamond pastes requires the application of an additional diamond extender or lubricant, which is typically a glycol or alcohol based solution.