EXPERIMENT REPORT

METALLOGRAPHY

Full Name: AMINA ELIDRISSI

Date: 26.10.2021
Student Number: 20MECH1031
Lab Instructor: MEHMET DEMİRKOL
Group Number: C
Group Members: ADEM SELİMOĞLU, BARKIN ERSEVİNÇ, KHALID
AL-ANI, YUSUF HACIIBRAHIMOGLU

Contents Pages

Introduction: Background information

about Metallography topic, objectives of 2
the experimental work, Discussion of the
underlying theory.

Results and Discussion:

Explanation of results and calculations, 3,4,5,6
answer of all the questions in laboratory
sheet clearly and presentation of data in
tabular form.

Conclusion: General comments and

opinions about the experiment. 7
Suggestion of improvement about
experiment and laboratory

References: Sources 8

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 Introduction:

Metallography is a field of materials science that deals with the microscopic examination of
metals. Metal characteristics are largely influenced by their structure. The internal structures
of materials affect how they function in a specific application. Mechanical engineers can
predict a material's general behaviour by looking at its microstructure. Aside from a material's
crystallographic nature, defects inside a material have an even bigger impact on its
mechanical characteristics.
Plastic deformation of crystalline materials is caused by defects such as missing atom
planes, known as dislocations and grain boundaries which are the contact between two
crystallites. Dislocations, are only visible by their effects, such as strain and slip lines.
However, grain boundaries are seen under the microscope and that’s what we studied in our
experiment that has as objectives to examine the microscopic structures of metals and to
measure the average grain size of metallic materials using two different methods. So in order
to examine a metal using an optical microscope we followed several steps.
First, a specimen is cut from the metal to be analysed, and then a plane is used to examine
it. Grinding it consecutively with emery paper to create a smooth surface devoid of any
imperfections is required. Washing the specimen also helps in successful preparation. Final
flaws are removed by polishing the specimen with a very tiny abrasive, commonly applied as
a liquid solution (Al2O3-water), using a revolving cloth until a mirror like surface is
achieved. The polished surface is etched using chemical solutions. At varying rates, the
etchant attacks different areas of the specimen, revealing the structure features such as grain
boundaries.
After we get through this process we could now examine our microscope view and
determine the average grain size of the metal we used which is according to ASTM
(American Society for Testing and Materials) a symbol of the letter G and a number defining
the size of grains for example G0, G1, G2 and it stops in G14 which is the grain size number
of the finest grained material so ASTM grain size number increases with decreasing grain
size.
Linear Intercept Method and Planimetric (Areal Measurement) Method are the two
common methods used to identify the ASTM average grain size number.

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 Results and Discussion:

The strength and plasticity of metallic materials, as well as other specifications, are directly
affected by grain size. In the field of metallic materials testing, determining average grain size
is a very important test item. The average or mean grain diameter may be used to describe
grain size, and a variety of techniques have been developed to measure this parameter.
The ASTM standard was adopted in 1961 for rating grain size. The value of the grain size
number, G, is dependent upon the number of grains per square inch, observed on a polished
and etched metallographic specimen at a magnification of 100X. As the value of the number
of grains per square inch increases, so does the grain size number. [1]
The relation between Grain Size and Grain Number according to ASTM is given by the
following equation.

n A = 2G−1

Where n A is the number of grains per square inch at a magnification of 100X.

The two methods used to determine the ASTM average grain size number are detailed below.

1) Linear Intercept Method:

The linear intercept technique, known also as the Heyn intercept, developed in 1903, is
probably the most widely used method for measuring grain size, especially in metallurgical
research. The linear intercept technique involves drawing a collection of randomly positioned
line segments on a micrograph, counting the number of times each line segment contacts a
grain boundary, and calculating the intercepts to line length ratio. As a result, the intercepted
grain boundary per unit length n L is computed as follows:
ni
n L=
L

Where ni is the number of grain boundaries intersected by the randomly drawn test line and L
the length of the line. Magnification should also be computed. So as an outcome, d the
average grain diameter is:
1
d¿ nL

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 In our experiment case, a micrograph (microscopic image) of a metal sample that has been
polished to create a smooth flat surface and then etched to emphasize the boundaries between
grains is shown in Picture 1. Each boundary is defined by a single crystal that has been
intersected by the polishing plane. The randomly placed 9 black lines on Picture 1's
micrograph that each of them is 0.6 mm long, demonstrate the first step in determining the
average grain size. The little red marks on the line segments show where the lines cross the
crystal limits. The intersections for these 9 randomly arranged lines need to be obtained in
order to compute the average grain size. This last, for the sample, would then be calculated
using the number of boundaries and the total length of the segments. The micron marker
(200µm) on this micrograph shows the magnified size of the features.

Picture1: Micrograph of Crystals with Random Black Line Segments

The number of grains crossed by each of these line segments must be counted in order to
estimate the average grain diameter. These data are shown in the table below.

Line number No. Grains Intersected

1 14
2 7
3 10
4 7
5 6
6 9
7 8
8 8
9 8
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The average number of grain boundary intersections for these lines is 8.55

Therefore, the intercepted grain boundary per unit length n L is:

8.55
n L= =14.25 No ./mm
0.6

After the calculation of n L, ASTM Grain Size Number G can be determined by using Table
below:

Table 1: ASTM Grain Size Number according to ASTM E-112 Standard

So n L which is 14.25No./mm corresponds approximately to G4.5 ASTM Grain Size Number

2) Planimetric (Areal Measurement) Method:

Planimetric or areal measuring method includes counting of the number of grains within a
specific area. In this method, a circle or rectangle of known area should be drawn on a
micrograph or on the ground glass screen of the metallograph then a proper magnification
should be selected. It is required marking off all the grains within this area as they are
counted: for those who are within the area are counted as full crystals however, those that
crossed the circle or rectangle are numbered as half grains. Number of grains per unit area n A
is used to determine the ASTM grain size number G.

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Therefore, the number of grains per square inch n A at ×100 magnification is calculated as:

(Number of grains∈closed area) (Magnification factor 100 X ,200 X … etc) 2

nA = x( )
Area( ¿2) 100

So the ASTM grain size number G can be found using the calculation:
n A = 2G−1

In our experiment case, we randomly placed a black circle that has as a real area of
2.54 ¿2 which is calculated at ×100 magnification. This was achieved by overlaying a
microscope view with a transparency that has a circle drawn on it following the scale giving.
Half of the grains that intersected the black circle are added to all of the grains within the
circle. Each grain within the circle, as well as those that crossed the circle, was noted with red
marks and numbered as shown in picture 2 below:

Uncut: 19 grains
Cut: 12 grains
Cut grain average:
12/2=6 grains
Total number of grains:
25 grains

5 cm = 1.96 in

Picture2: Micrograph of Crystals with random black circle

So in this case the number of grains per square inch n A is :

25 1002
nA = ×
2. 54 1002
=¿ 9.8425 grains / ¿2

And then we can calculate ASTM grain size G which is:

ln ( 9.842 )
G= +1=4.29≈ 4.5
ln(2)

6
Conclusion:
 References:

[1] D. C. Van Aken, University of science and technology, "ASTM Grain Size
Number," Industrial Heating, BNP Media, Inc., Jan 1999.
[2] Dr. P.N. Anyalebechi: “Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory Manual,” School
of Engineering, Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, Grand Valley State
University, January 2005, pp. 98-101.