UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SARAWAK

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

EEM3951
ENGINEERING LABORATORY

LABORATORY REPORT

LAB CODE SM 5

EXPERIMENT TITLE MICROSTRUCTURE

ANALYSIS BY OPTICAL
MICROSCOPE
GROUP NO 1

1) AARON MARVIN ANAK VINCENT

2)GARY PETERSON ANAK TEGONG
NAME 3) AMELDA DIANA ANAK TONY
4)JOSHUA JIMBAT ANAK NANTA
5)KWAN KAH ZHENG
1) BME22090001
2) BME22090002
ID NO 3) BME22090003
4) BME22090007
5) BME22090008

DATE OF EXPERIMENT 14/10/2022

DATE OF SUBMISSION 27/11/2022

LECTURER Dr. Irina Wong

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Objective 3

2. Theory & Introduction 3

3. Apparatus 3-4

4. Safety Precaution 4

5. Procedure 4-5

6. Results and Discussion

5-7

7. Conclusion 7

8. References 7

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TITLE: MICROSTRUCTURE ANALYSIS BY OPTICAL MICROSCOPE

OBJECTIVE

To practice metallurgy techniques such as grinding, polishing and etching and familiar with
metallurgy microscope.

To investigate the microstructure of metal.

THEORY

With optical microscopy, the light microscope is used to study the microstructure. For materials
that are opaque to visible light, only the surface is subject to observation, and the light
microscope must be used in a reflecting mode. Contrasts in the image produced result from
differences in reflectivity of the various regions of the microstructure. To show the crucial
intricacies of the microstructure, thorough surface preparation is required. First, the specimen
surface has to be smoothed out and polished to a mirror-like quality. To do this, progressively
finer abrasive sheets and powders are used. By treating the surface with a suitable chemical
reagent and performing a process known as etching, the microstructure is made visible.
Depending on the material being used, the etching reagents must be chosen, and once the
specimen has been etched, grease must be removed by washing it in ethanol and ether. Since
the atoms near the grain boundaries are more chemically active, they dissolve more quickly
than those inside the grains where tiny grooves are formed. When seen under a microscope,
these grooves stand out because they reflect light at a different angle than the grains themselves.

APPARATUS:

Polisher, Lubricant, Ultrasonic, cleanser, etching solution, Metallurgy microscope, Grinder,

Silicon carbide paper (4 different mesh), Diamond paste (3 micron and 1 micron), Dryer,
Cotton, Alcohol, Sample – steel

Figure 1: Apparatus of this experiment

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 Figure 2: Apparatus of this experiment

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

1. While using the microscope be careful not to raise the stage too much which may result in
contact between the objective lens and the specimen and cause damage.

2. Never touch the optical surfaces with your fingers or any object

PROCEDURE

1. Grinding is done by using a roll grinder, which is covered with silicon carbide paper
with four different grades of paper are used. With the smallest grit number, which represents
coarsest particles.
2. While light pressure of grinding is applied on the center of the sample. Continue
grinding until all the blemishes have been removed, the sample surface is flat, and all starches
are directed in one direction.
3. The sample is washed in water and moved to the nest grit, orienting the starches from
the previous grade normal to the movement direction.
4. The grinding procedure is repeated until the final grinding operation using the 1200 grit
SiC paper. After that, the sample is washed thoroughly followed by cleaning using alcohol
and the sample is dried.
5. Polishing is done using rotating disc covered with soft cloth impregnated with diamond
particles and lubricant. The polishing operation began with 3 micron grade and the process
is continued until the grinding starches have been removed.
6. The sample is washed under running tap water, then immersed the sample in the
ultrasonic cleaner for 3-5 minutes, followed by cleaning with alcohol and then the sample is
dried.
7. Repeat the same procedure for final polishing stage using 1 micron lubricant.
8. The sample is examined by using metallurgy microscope. Observation is noted down.
9. The polished sample is immersed in the etching solution for about 2 to 3 seconds. The

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sample is washed with water followed by alcohol. Dry the sample prior to microscopy
examination.
10. The sample is examined (after etching) by using metallurgy microscope. Observation is
noted down.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

After going through numerous procedures, the result of epoxy can be viewed with a
metallurgy microscope as shown at above. From figure 1 and 3 shows that the microstructure
obtained before the etching process means that we can notice that the surface has some scratches
on it due to several factors. The factor is the process of cutting a specimen while cutting with
abrasives may cause a large amount of damage, whilst the use of a low-speed diamond saw can
cause fewer problems. Besides that, excessive pressure applied on the metal specimen during
grinding and improper posture or angle of polishing may cause the factors. In figure 2 and 4
shows that the microstructure are obtained in the etching process. Furthermore figure 3, the
surface is really smoother after the specimen immersed in the ethanol solution and pores could
be see appear on the surface as well.

Figure 3: Before Etching (Epoxy Resin)

Figure 4: After Etching (Epoxy Resin)

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 Figure 5: Before Etching (Acrylic Resin)

Figure 6: After Etching (Acrylic Resin)

Etching is the process when revealing the microstructure of certain metal through a
selective chemical attack. The purpose of the etching process is to remove the thin and highly
deformed layer which was introduced after the grinding and polishing process. We can use an
optical microscope to observe etchings to determine the grain size, phase distribution, and
segregation. If the process is too long, more than 3 seconds, the small pits formed during the
chemical attack will increase in size thus preventing the main features of the microstructure of
the metal to be observed clearly.

Yes, there is change in resulting microstructure if the same material undergoes heat
treatment such as annealing, quenching or normalizing. Normalizing is a heat treatment that
improves the toughness of steel. The purpose of normalizing it can eliminate the overheated
coarse-grained structure of casting, forging, and welding parts. It can be used as a pre-heat
treatment before quenching. During the normalizing process, the grains of steel pearlite matrix
can be refined in slightly faster cooling. Not only can satisfactory strength be obtained, but also
the toughness can be significantly improved. The tendency of components to crack is reduced.

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 The purpose of Quenching is to improve the mechanical properties of metal materials or
parts such as hardness, wear resistance, elastic limit, fatigue and strength. For the quenching
process, the temperature above the austenitic lath will cause the carbon getting trapped inside
the austenitic lath. Annealing is a metal heat treatment process that slowly heats the metal to a
certain temperature. The purpose of annealing is to improve or eliminate various structural
defects and residual stresses caused by steel casting, forging, rolling, and welding, and prevent
deformation and cracking of the workpiece. The microstructure of the mild steel pearlite was
more uniformly distributed.

CONCLUSIONS
The experiment's objectives were fulfilled, which is a positive development. It was
understood how to prepare a metallographic sample. Cutting, grinding, polishing, and etching are
the final four processes the specimen must go through. The second goal, which was to
comprehend the meaning and notion of etching, was likewise accomplished well. In order to show
grain boundaries, phases, precipitates, inclusions, and compositional changes on the surface of
metals, an etching method was used. Additionally, the fundamental principles of an optical
microscope's operation are also known. With the use of an optical microscope, the material's
structure may be seen. The objective of the used and carried out analysis from the microstructures
discovered was likewise successfully accomplished.

REFERENCES
JC Casting (n.d.). Difference between normalizing, tempering, annealing, quenching.
Retrived from https://www.investmentcastingpci.com/blog/difference-between-normalizing-
tempering-annealing-and-quenching/#2what-is-the-purpose-of-quenching

Metallurgical Engineering Services, INC. Sample preparation. Rerieved from

https://www.metengr.com/testing-services/metallurgical/sample-preparation