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Metallographic Laboratory

Lab Manager
Description

Metallography involves the preparation and examination of specimens for their microscopic structure which determines their bulk physical properties.  Despite its name, metallographic methods can be applied to ceramics, glasses, polymers and biological materials as well as metals.  Preparation typically involves sectioning, mounting in various polymer systems, grinding and polishing to a mirror surface, chemical or electro etching of the surfaces, optical or electron microscopy, and micro or nano indentation hardness testing.  Macro hardness testing is also carried out in the Metallographic lab.

Equipment
Metallographic cutoff wheels
Leco MSX-205 Cutoff Saw and Beuhler Isomet High Speed Precision Saw

Leco MSX-205 Cutoff Saw and Beuhler Isomet High Speed Precision Saw

 

Mounting
Leco MX500 Mounting Press

Leco MX500 Mounting Press

 

Manual Polishers
Manual and semi-automatic polishers

Preparation of samples using various media including SiC, alumina, cerium oxide, silica, or diamond

 

Inverted Metallurgical Microscope and Sterozoom Microscope with Image Analysis System
Inverted Metallurgical Microscope

Obtains micro-photographs and measures features sizes

 

Digital Hardness Tester
Hardness testers

Leco Digital Rockwell macro / superficial hardness tester and Qness micro-indentation hardness tester for Knoop, Vickers or Brinell testing.

 

Examples
Example 1
Examples of metallographic
mounted and polished specimens.  
Bronze
Weld interface in Bronze​​​​

 

Wood
Mounted and polished wood section
Copper
Cast Structure in Copper Round bar
3