Metallic materials can be considered the most important inorganic engineering materials due to their excellent electrical conductivity and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, fatigue strength, and ductility. These materials also show high flexibility in terms of their mechanical properties, as they can be adjusted through heat treatment or composition changes. Metallic materials are usually made by combining metallic elements, such as iron, titanium, aluminum and gold, with a small amount of nonmetallic materials, such as carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.

Common metal alloy classes include:

• Stainless steel, such as 316L
• Titanium-based alloys, such as Ti-6Al-4V, which is commonly used in the medical, automotive, and aerospace industries
• Nickel-based alloys, such as IN718 and IN625 used in the aerospace industry
• Aluminum alloys, such as AlSi10Mg used in the aerospace and automotive industries

Material Microstructural Properties

According to the industry, alloy type, and application, certain mechanical and microstructural properties are required for a product to perform safely in specific operational and environmental conditions.

The following analysis methods are commonly performed for microstructural and morphological inspections on metallic parts and materials to check their quality before and after manufacturing processes.

• Determination of grain size
• Phase analysis
• Nonmetallic inclusion analysis
• Inspection on porosity
• Layer/coating thickness measurement
• Particle distribution analysis
• Graphite (morphological and quantification) analysis
• Determination of dendrite arm spacing

Image Analysis Solutions for Materialography

Our industrial image analysis software has guided workflows to streamline material science analyses. These step-by-step instructions enable reproducible and reliable results. A range of optional Material Solutions can be added with dedicated workflows for material qualification and evaluation. These solutions enable you to conduct an analysis according to common international standards (ISO, ASTM, JIS, and DIN). Find solutions for a range of materials, including metal, ceramics, coatings, welds, aluminum alloys, and cast iron.

All material solutions can be implemented in PRECiV™ 2D image and measurement software and Stream Enterprise data management software.

Material Solutions

Microscope Solutions for Materialography

We are a leading manufacturer of microscopes for materials science and industrial applications with over 100 years of experience in developing microscopes. Along with our image analysis software, we provide a wide range of microscopes for performing metallography and material analysis.

Materialography Applications

Nonmetallic Inclusion Analysis in Steel View Application Note	Evaluation of Steel Grain Size View Application Note
Evaluation of Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron View Application Note	Evaluation Using Visual Comparisons with Standard Diagrams of Industrial Standards View Application Note
Measuring Weld Throat Thickness with OLYMPUS Stream Image Analysis Software View Application Note	Using Image Analysis Software to Measure Throwing Power or PCB Copper Plating Thickness Uniformity View Application Note
Cast Iron Analysis View Application Note	Grain Size Analysis in Metals and Alloys View Application Note

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