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MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY: MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISATION
The area counts with an electronic scanning microscope (FESEM) Zeiss Ultra plus for carrying out the microstructural characterisation and fractographic study of different materials. So as to round off these studies the area also counts with optical microscopes (Nikon and Olympus) and a Sensofar PL 2300 confocal microscope.
Field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM) makes it possible to study fracture surfaces with a high level of resolution (from 50x to 20000x). One of the advantages in comparison to other conventional systems is that samples do not require any further preparation than a cleaning without altering the surface. Since it counts with a load compensation system, the area is capable of studying non-conductive samples polymers, ceramics, biological ...).
The Area counts with a field emission scanning electronic microscope (FESEM) Zeiss, model Ultra-Plus. This microscope has incorporated an EDX detector (microanalyser by x-ray energy dispersion), EBSD detector (electron backscattered diffraction) and load compensation for non-conductive samples (ceramic...).
The microscope makes it possible to visualise the surface of the samples before being treated. This allows to:
- Determine the way of fracture: ductile, intergranular fragile, transgranular fragile, fatigue...
- Determine the origin point of the fracture.
- Detect pores, burrs or cracks.
- Identify the microstructure and the phases that are present.
The EBSD module makes it possible to obtain a great amount of crystallographic and structural information among which we could point out:
- Detect and classify the grains.
- Determine the orientation of the grains.
- Determine the texture of the material.
- Classify the kind of edge of the grain.
The knowledge of these data is very important so as to carry out an interpretation of the mechanic behaviour and to predict the way of fracture and the behaviour at corrosion.
The EDX module allows to:
- Carry out general and specific semiquantitative analyses (up to 1 micrometer).
- Generate composition maps (distribution of elements).
- Interact with the EBSD module for a better characterisation.
Optical microscopy allows us to study the topography of fractures and to carry out microstructural studies by means of a binocular microscope or a metallographic microscope connected to a digital image captioning system; a system for the analysis of images. These make it possible, by means of the software, to easily measure and quantify phase percentages, pores, etc.
Confocal microscopy makes it possible to carry out profiles of the fracture area and measurements on the vertical axis with regards the sample as well as to generate depth maps regarding this axis.
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