Course Code: 19MEC202A Course Title: Materials Science: Microstructure

Course Code: 19MEC202A
Course Title: Materials Science
Microstructure
Course Leader:
Dr. M C Murugesh 1
Faculty of Engineering & Technology © Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
Microstructure
Properties of an alloy depend on proportions of the phases and on
how they are arranged at the microscopic level.
Microstructure: number of phases, their proportions, and their
arrangements
Microstructure of cast Iron
Alloy of Fe with 4 wt.% C. There are several phases. The long gray
regions are flakes of graphite. The matrix is a fine mixture of BCC Fe
and Fe3C compound.
Phase diagrams help understand and predict microstructures 2
Metallography
• Metallography is the study of the structure of metals
and of metal alloys through the examination of
specimens with a metallurgical microscope. The
structures observed in the microscope are often
recorded photographically
• The metallographic examination of specimens allows
the metallographer to observe and record the
crystalline structures and to interpret from them the
history of manufacture and use of the material
3
What is Microstructure
• Term ‘Microstructure‘ not uniquely defined
• Can define as
– The arrangement of phases and defects within a
material
– All internal structural features that affect material
properties, i.e. not confined to a mesoscopic or
microscopic level
• Microstructure: Spatial Distribution of Elements
and Defects
4
What is Microstructure?
• Microstructure: Spatial Distribution of Elements and
Defects
– Comprises of
• Defect arrangements
• Point defects
• Vacancies (diffusion, phase transformations, voids)
• Dislocations (crystal plasticity, recovery)
• Grain Boundaries (recrystallization, grain growth)
• Phase boundaries (phase transformations)
• Crystal structure (defect properties)
• Crystal orientation (anisotropy)
• Elemental distribution (composition, segregation)
5
Types of Microscopes
• Light Microscope
• Phase Contrast Microscope
• Stereo microscope • Toolmaker’s Microscope
• Fluorescence Microscope
• Total Internal Reflection Microscope
• Electron Microscope – Scanning Electron Microscope
• Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope –
Transmission Electron Microscope
• Confocal Microscope
• Scanning Probe Microscopes – Atomic Force Microscope
– Scanning Tunneling Microscope
• X-ray Microscope
6
Why Microstructure is Important
• Engineering view: Processing – Microstructure –
Property – Performance
7
Properties at Length-Scales
• To understand structure sensitive properties (yield strength,

fracture toughness etc.) we may have to traverse across various
length-scales
• When we traverse across length-scales we get different
perspectives of properties – Order, properties, etc. may seem very
different at different lengh-scales 8
Sample Preparation
• Steps involved
– Cut representative sample
– Mount sample, grind and polish
– Examine un-etched sample
– Etch lightly and examine again
– Etch further if necessary
– Study and compare with microstructure expected
from equilibrium phase diagram
9
A Well-Prepared Metallographic Specimen
Is
• Sectioned, ground and polished so as to minimize
disturbed or flowed surface metal caused by
mechanical deformation, and thus to allow the true
microstructure to be revealed by etching
• Free from polishing scratches and pits and liquid
staining
• Polished so that inclusions are preserved intact
• Flat enough to permit examination at high
magnifacation
10
Abrasive Sectioning
• The first step in preparing a specimen for metallographic
or microstructural analysis is to locate the area of
interest. Sectioning or cutting is the most common
technique for revealing the area of interest. Proper
sectioning has the following characteristics
• Desirable Effects: - Flat and cut close to the area of interest
- Minimal microstructural damage
• Undesirable Effects: - Smeared (plastically deformed) metal
- Heat affected zones (burning during cutting)
- Excessive subsurface damage (cracking in ceramics)
- - Damage to secondary phases (e.g. graphite flakes, nodules or
grain pull-out)
11
Recommended Cutting Procedures
• Select the appropriate abrasive blade.
• Secure specimen. Improper clamping may result in blade
and/or specimen damage.
• Check coolant level and replace when low or excessively
dirty.
• Allow the abrasive blade to reach its operating speed
before beginning the cut.
• A steady force or light pulsing action will produce the
best cuts and minimize blade wear characteristics
12
Specimen Mounting
• The primary reasons for specimen mounting
are to better hold the part to be ground and
polished, and to provide protection to the
edges of the specimen.
• Secondarily, mounted specimens are easier
to fixture into automated machines or to
hold manually.
• The orientation of the specimen can also be
more easily controlled by fixturing it and
then setting it in place via mounting.
• Metallographic mounting is accomplished by
casting the specimen into a castable plastic
material or by compression mounting the
plastic under pressure and temperature
13
Grinding
• Grinding is done using rotating discs covered with silicon carbide
paper
• There are a number of grades of paper, with Grit 220, Grit 320,
Grit 400, Grit 600 grains of silicon carbide per square inch
• 220 grade represents the coarsest particles and this is the grade
to begin the grinding operation
• Always use light pressure applied at the centre of the sample.
Continue grinding until all the scratch marks have been removed,
the sample surface is flat
• Wash the sample in water and move to the next grade, orienting
the scratches from the previous grade normal to the rotation
direction. This makes it easy to see when the coarser scratches
have all been removed
• After the final grinding operation on 600 paper, wash the sample
in water followed by drying it before moving to the polishing 14
Grinding
220 Grit 300 Grit 400 Grit 600 Grit
Disc Grinder
Up to 800
Rpm
Washing Soft Cloth For

Samples with Hot Air Dryer
Cleaning
water 15
Polishing
• Polishing is the final step in production a surface that is flat,
scratch free, and mirror like in appearance
• Such a surface is necessary for subsequent accurate
metallographic interpretation, both qualitative and quantitative
• Before final polishing is started, the surface condition should be at
least as good that obtained by grinding with a 600-grit abrasive
• Diamond Polishing-Diamond paste is available in various sizes.
When the surface is of acceptable quality, polishing is continued
with diamond paste
Before proceeding to Etching, wash and dry both the specimen and your hands
thoroughly then rinse the specimen with distilled water. DO NOT TOUCH THE
SPECIMEN SURFACE 16
Etching
• Although certain information may be
obtained from as polished specimens, the
microstructure is usually visible only after
etching
• Only features which exhibit a significant
difference in reflectivity (10% or greater) can
be viewed without etching.
• This is true of microstructural features with
large differences in hardness causing relief
formation
• Cracks, pores, pits, and non-metallic
inclusions may be observed in the as-
polished condition
• In most cases, a polished specimen will not
exhibit its microstructure because incident 17
light &isTechnology
Faculty of Engineering uniformly reflected © Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
Etching
• The purpose of etching is to optically enhance
microstructural features such as grain size and phase
features
• Etching selectively alters these microstructural features
based on composition, stress, or crystal structure
• The most common technique for etching is selective
chemical etching and numerous formulations have been
used over the years
• Other techniques such as molten salt, electrolytic,
thermal and plasma etching have also found specialized
applications
18
Microscopes
Metallographic sample is opaque to light,
the sample must be illuminated by reflected
light. A simplified ray diagram of a
metallurgical microscope is shown
The prepared specimen is placed
perpendicular to the optical axis of the
microscope and is illuminated through the
objective lens by light from the source,
which is focused by the condenser into a
beam that is made approximately parallel to
the optical axis of the microscope by the
plane glass reflector. The light is then
reflected from the surface of the specimen.
This light reflected from the specimen
surface will be magnified in passing through
the objective lens and will continue upward
through the plane glass reflector and gets
19
Faculty of Engineering & Technology
magnified again by the eyepiece
© Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
Figure (a) Polished Surface, (b) Etched Surface & (c) Retched
Surface
20
Fractured Surfaces
21
Sample Preparation for Microstructure
Steps involved
• Cut representative sample
• Mount sample, grind and

polish
• Etch lightly and examine
• Etch further if necessary
• Study and compare with

microstructure expected
from equilibrium phase
22
diagram
Thank You
23 23

Course Code: 19MEC202A Course Title: Materials Science: Microstructure

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Course Code: 19MEC202A Course Title: Materials Science: Microstructure

Uploaded by

Copyright:

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Course Code: 19MEC202A

Course Title: Materials Science

• To understand structure sensitive properties (yield strength,

220 Grit 300 Grit 400 Grit 600 Grit

Washing Soft Cloth For

• Mount sample, grind and

• Etch lightly and examine

• Etch further if necessary

• Study and compare with

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