Search Results (7)

Color metallographic samples of H59 brass alloy have been prepared by aqua regia etching. In this paper, combined with XRD (X-ray diffraction), traditional metallographic analysis, FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy), and EBSD (electron backscattering diffraction), the effect of the color metallographic method on the microstructure characterization of the H59 brass alloy was analyzed. The experimental results showed that α phases and β phases could be distinguished clearly, and the phase morphology, distribution, and content could be expressed accurately with an average error value of 5.25% for the α phase and 4.71% for the β phase. The average error rate of the phase content characterization was 4.98% (less than 5%) with the color metallographic method. In addition, it was also found in the study that the brightness and darkness of the β phase would be related to the grain orientation, and the bright grains would correspond to the low-index surface, and the dark grains to the high-index surface. As a low-cost, fast, and efficient characterization technique, the experimental results show that color metallography (CM) could replace electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) for the analysis of the phase composition, phase distribution, phase content, and grain orientation of brass alloys, which would provide an experimental basis for optimizing alloy properties and expanding applications. Full article

The mixed structure of lath bainite and martensite was obtained by isothermal transformation tests at 698 K, 673 K and 623 K in ultra-high-strength steel. The interweaving mode of lath bainite and martensite was revealed by colored metallography and band contrast maps based on Gaussian fit. The crystallographic characteristics were analyzed in terms of variant pairing. The twin-related V1/V2 variant pairs were found in the region with high band contrast (BC) values, inferred as lath bainite. While in the low-BC value region, which was inferred as lath martensite, besides the dominated twin-related V1/V2 variant pair, V1/V4 variant pairs with low-angle grain boundaries were occasionally revealed. According to the classification by Takayama et al., both variant pairings of lath bainite and martensite in this work correspond to a type II mode. The present work has confirmed, even with complex microstructure, i.e., mixed lath bainite and martensite were formed depending on the processing route, bainite and martensite still follow their own rules of variant pairing. Full article

In this study, fresh attempts have been made to identify and estimate the phase constituents of a high-silicon, medium carbon multiphase steel (DIN 1.5025 grade) subjected to austenitization at 900 °C for 5 min, followed by quenching and low-temperature bainitizing (Q&B) at 350 °C for 200 s. Several techniques were employed using different chemical etching reagents either individually (single-step) or in combination of two or more etchants in succession (multiple-step) for conducting color metallography. The results showed that the complex multiphase microstructures comprising a fine mixture of bainite, martensite and retained austenite phase constituents were selectivity stained/tinted with good contrasting resolution, as observed via conventional light optical microscopy observations. While the carbon-enriched martensite-retained austenite (M/RA) islands were revealed as cream-colored areas by using a double-step etching technique comprising etching with 10% ammonium persulfate followed by etching with Marble’s reagent, the dark gray-colored bainite packets were easily distinguishable from the brown-colored martensite regions. However, the high-carbon martensite and retained austenite in M/RA islands could be differentiated only after resorting to a triple-step etching technique comprising etching in succession with 2% nital, 10% ammonium persulfate solution and then warm Marble’s reagent at 30 °C. This revealed orange-colored martensite in contrast to cream-colored retained austenite in M/RA constituents, besides the presence of brown-colored martensite laths in the dark gray-colored bainitic matrix. A quadruple-step technique involving successive etching with 2% nital, 10% ammonium persulfate solution, Marble’s reagent and finally Klemm’s Ι reagent at 40 °C revealed even better contrast in comparison to the triple-step etching technique, particularly in distinguishing the RA from martensite. Observations using advanced techniques like field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) failed to differentiate untempered, high-carbon martensite from retained austenite in the M/RA islands and martensite laths from bainitic matrix, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies successfully distinguished the RA from high-carbon martensite, as noticed in M/RA islands. The volume fraction of retained austenite estimated by EBSD, XRD and a point counting method on color micrographs of quadruple-step etched samples showed good agreement. Full article

During the casting cooling process or the forging process, austenitic stainless steel will remain at around 800 °C for some time. During this period, precipitate particle behaviors in austenitic stainless steel (containing ferrite) will cause a reduction in ductility, which can lead to material cracking. In this study, the effects of aging at 800 °C on the microstructure, impact toughness and microhardness of Z2CND18-12N austenitic stainless steel were systematically investigated. The precipitation processes of the χ and σ phases were characterized by color metallography and back scattered electron (BSE) signals. The toughness was investigated by the Charpy impact test. After the aging treatment, the χ and σ phases precipitated successively in the ferrite, and as the aging duration increased, the χ-phase dissolved and the σ-phase precipitated along the austenite grain boundaries. These all lead to a decrease in toughness and an increase in microhardness. Finally, the relationship between fracture morphology and aging time is discussed herein, and a crack mechanism is given. Full article

The Ni-hard alloys white-cast irons are generally used for high wear work. Among them, those with better impact resistance because of its low carbon content compared to the rest of the family, are studied in this paper. One experimental technique of characterizing the metallic materials is the microstructural study. Several metallographic attacks intended to reveal qualitatively each microconstituent that forms the alloy, as well as the segregation and solidification structure of casting, are studied in this article. The use of color metallography is fundamental in this case to distinguish clearly the microconstituents. The main objective of this paper is to propose a series of attacks that identify each one of the microconstituents present in the alloy that has not been reported up to date. Full article

To develop an advanced high strength steel with reasonable ductility based on low alloying concept as well as micro-composite microstructure essentially consisting of bainite, martensite and retained austenite, a Si-bearing, low alloy medium carbon sheet steel (DIN1.5025 grade) was subjected to typical quenching and bainitic holding (Q&B) type isothermal treatment in the bainitic region close to martensite start temperature (M_s) for different durations in the range 5s to 1h. While the low temperature bainite has the potential to provide the required high strength, a small fraction of finely divided austenite stabilized between the bainitic laths is expected to provide the desired elongation and improved work hardening. Various materials characterization techniques including conventional light metallography, field emission scanning electron microscopy FE-SEM, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), were used to detect and estimate the volume fraction, size and morphology and distribution of retained austenite in the micro-composite samples. The results showed that the color light metallography technique using LePera’s etching reagent could clearly reveal the retained austenite in the microstructures of the samples isothermally held for shorter than 30s, beyond which an unambiguous distinction between the retained austenite and martensite was imprecise. On the contrary, the electron microscopy using a FE-SEM was not capable of identifying clearly the retained austenite from bainite and martensite. However, the EBSD images could successfully distinguish between bainite, martensite and retained austenite microphases with good contrast. Although the volume fractions of retained austenite measured by EBSD are in accord with those obtained by XRD and color light metallography, the XRD measurements showed somewhat higher fractions owing to its ability to acquisition and analyze the diffracted X-rays from very finely divided retained austenite, too. The differential thermal analysis and vibrating sample magnetometry techniques also confirmed the stabilization of retained austenite finely divided in bainite/martensite micro-composite microstructures. In addition, the peak temperatures and intensities corresponding to the decomposition of retained austenite were correlated with the related volume fractions and carbon contents measured by the XRD analysis. Full article

Proper understanding and knowledge of primary particle or grain size is of paramount importance in manufacturing processes as it directly affects various properties including mechanical behavior. Application of optical microscopy coupled with etching techniques has been used conventionally and in conjunction with color metallography (polarized microscopy) has been the preferred method for grain size measurement. An advanced technique as an alternative to light microscopy is using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). A comparison is made between these two techniques using Al-7Si alloy produced with various casting techniques to highlight the cost and time of the sample preparation and analysis for both techniques. Results showed that color metallography is certainly a faster technique with great accuracy and a much cheaper alternative in comparison with EBSD. Full article