1462548896microscopical Examination

1.
MICROSCOPICAL EXAMINATION
The microstructural study of a material can provide information regarding the morphology and
distribution of constituent phases as well as the nature and pattern of certain crystal
imperfections. Optical metallography is a basic tool of material scientists, since the equipment
is relatively inexpensive and the images can be obtained and interpreted easily. Distribution and
morphology of the phases can be studied and, if their properties are known, a quantitative
analysis of the micrographs provides some information about the bulk properties of the
specimen. A limited study of line and surface informations is also possible with the optical
microscope.
In order to obtain reproducible results, with good contrast in the image, the specimen surface is
polished and subsequently etched with appropriate reagents before microscopic examination.
In a polished specimen, the etching not only delineates grain boundaries, but also allows the
different phases to be distinguished by differences in brightness, shape, and color of the grain.
Differences in contrast may result from differences in light absorption characteristics of the
phases. Etching results in preferential attack or preferential colouring of the surface. The
preferential attack is electrochemical corrosion; it is well known that different materials corrode
at different rates. Grain boundaries are often anodic to the bulk metal in the interior of the grain
and so are etched away preferentially and delineated. Staining is produced by the deposition of
solid etch product on the specimen surface. This is formed by chemical reaction between the
etchant and the specimen. Under favorable conditions the use of a proper etchant enables the
identification of constituents. Failure analysis depends a great deal on metallographic
examination.
Microstructural examination can provide quantitative information about the following

parameters:
1) The grain size of specimens
2) The amount of interfacial area per unit volume
3) The dimensions of constituent phases
4) The amount and distribution of phases.
1.1. Metallurgical (Optic) Microscope

The microstructure of the metals and alloys is investigated by metallurgical microscopes. An
optic microscope has the maximum 2000x magnification and 1000Å separation efficiency
(lateral dissolution). For higher magnification analyses, electron microscopy has to be used,
which is not in the scope of this study. Unlike biological microscopes, metallurgical
microscopes must use reflected light. Figure 3 presents a simplified ray diagram of the
illuminating and imaging system of a metallurgical microscope.
Light incident upon the specimen is reflected back from the specimen surface. Any light that
reflects back from specimen features which are approximately normal to the optical axis (i.e.
features that are perpendicular to the incident light beam) will enter the objective, pass through
the plane glass reflector, travel on to the eyepiece, and will form the bright portion of the image
one sees. Any light that is reflected back from features inclined to the optical axis (i.e. features
that are not perpendicular to the incident light beam) will be scattered and will not enter the
objective. Such features will thereby appear dark in the image one sees. The final image of the
specimen, formed by the eyepiece(s) of the microscope, is thus bright for all features normal to
the optical axis and dark for inclined features. In this way, the various microstructural features
of a metallographic specimen (such as grain boundaries that have been etched to produce
grooves with inclined edges, precipitate particles, and non-metallic inclusions) are all revealed
in the image of the specimen. Figure 4 presents a schematic diagram showing bright and dark
image areas corresponding to reflection from normal or inclined features on the specimen
surface.
Figure 1. Specimen image under bright-field illumination.

Figure 2. Schematic representation of an etched sample having two phases.
HOMEWORK
1. Draw schematically the view of the sample detected under the optical microscope with 100x
magnification, before and after the etching processes.
2. Please indicate precisely the problems that you faced while preparing the your sample for the
microscopic examination. Moreover, explain in detail the solution that you find to resolve all
those problems.

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1.

Microstructural examination can provide quantitative information about the following

1.1. Metallurgical (Optic) Microscope

Figure 1. Specimen image under bright-field illumination.

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