Pure metals and many common alloys are made up of grains, similar in composition and crystal structure but not in shape. Each grain is a single crystal representing a phase and these materials are known as single-phase metals. The term "microstructure" in this case means simply a description of the sizes and shapes of the grains; there is nothing else that is accessible to visual or microscopic observation. The microstructure of a two-phase alloy is more complicated since the grains of the two phases differ in composition, structure and shape. In addition, the second phase may be present as a distinct set of grains interlocking with those of the first set or they may take on the form of needles, plates, rods or spheres which are enclosed within the matrix of the first phase (Fig. 1). The purpose of the study of microstructures or metallography then becomes the identification of the phases and the description of the sizes and shapes of the grains, needles, plates, etc. These observations the metallographer may then relate to the behaviour of the metal.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.115336 |
Date | January 1964 |
Creators | Altshuller, Bernard. |
Contributors | Williams, W. (Supervisor) |
Publisher | McGill University |
Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Format | application/pdf |
Coverage | Master of Engineering. (Department of Engineering.) |
Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
Relation | alephsysno: NNNNNNNNN, Theses scanned by McGill Library. |
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