Identifying the reasons behind certain failures in the behavior of a material through microstructural analysis has a challenging task to limit this problem. For the construction industry, efficiency and quality of the material is very important because it determines the effectiveness and good organization of the whole building. Since the construction materials constitute the overall structure of the building particularly its framework, it is important to recognize and understand the responsibility and function of microstructural analysis in managing the “macroscopic” performance of the materials. Hence, researches using metallographic microscope is required.

Metallography

When conducting research using metallographic microscope, you must first understand the connection between Metallography and the microstructure of the materials.

By definition, Metallography deals with the various techniques used to prepare metals in order to extract accurate information regarding their composition, structure, properties, processing history, and overall condition of the material.

Since metals or alloys are solid materials, from which you cannot simply conduct an observation through dissection, you need to employ various, specially designed strategies to analyze the cross section of the metallographic specimens.

With this, Metallography is typically involved in the preparation of the material itself so that its microstructural components can be seen visibly by the unaided eye.

Just like studying or observing the cross section of organisms in order to identify their behavior or activities, which cannot be easily identified by the naked eye, studying the cross section of metals also employ research using metallographic microscope.

The Process

Generally, metals are considered to be in crystalline structure when they are on their solid state. The crystalline structure of the metals represents the internal organization of the atoms, which will also determine the overall composition, properties, and processing history of the material.

If you are to cut up and ground a certain metal, you will be able to achieve their crystalline phase. However, the crystals or grains of metals are so small that you cannot identify their properties or organization.

Hence, the microstructural analysis of metals can only be seen and observed through research using metallographic microscope, where magnifications are usually higher than 100x.

In this view, experts say that by analyzing the microstructure of a metal, they can easily identify the makeup of a particular material and understand the link between their behavior, performance, and their respective composition.

Moreover, you will be able to derive more concrete information as to how the material was processed prior to its final make up. Taking this into consideration, observations derived in such research using metallographic microscope can eventually explain why certain functions take place or why metals behaved in certain ways. That is because the characteristics of the microstructure of metals have an effect on the properties of the metals.

For simple grading purposes, metallographic microscopes are used to extract accurate information regarding the structure of a material. However, for a more detailed research especially if you wanted to find out the cause of failures in metals, you need a comparative and analytical research through metallographic microscope.

It is so easy to assume that the failure of a material can be due to poor composition, incorrect process, or inaccurate structure. But to further substantiate these claims, one has to conduct in-depth study of the materials to attest the failure analysis that took place.

With this process, one can identify if the failed material has undergone the correct processing management and if it really entails the materials as stipulated by its manufacturer.

Typical research studies using metallographic microscope include property testing of the materials and microstructural analysis.

However, before arriving at such studies, metals should be properly prepared so that the observer can clearly see the details of the structure and therefore derive accurate observation or analysis.

Here, metals undergo various metallographic techniques. And just like typical specimens being prepared prior to their observation, metals are also subject to such groundwork.

Using metallographic microscope or the so-called inspection microscope, metallographic specimens are set in the microscope using a cast resin and “hot compression thermosetting resin.” With this, the lighter element is poured on the exterior part of the heavier element (metal) where solidification will take place.

Here, the “gradation in structure” will be identified as it passes through the next stage of metallographic study — grounding. As it pass through the grounding stage, refined components of silicon carbide paper are used to eliminate dents caused by sectioning.

Then polishing takes place so that it can now be viewed clearly under the metallographic microscope.

All of these constitute what research using metallographic microscope should be. Because it is only through this particular type of microscope that observers can identify the detailed information of metallographic specimens under observation.