This article describes the fundamentals of titanium metallographic sample preparation. Representative micrographs are presented for each class of titanium alloys, including unalloyed titanium, alpha alloys, alpha-beta alloys, and beta titanium alloys. The article provides information on the macroexamination and microexamination for these alloys. It concludes with a discussion on the several metallographic techniques developed for specific purposes, such as recrystallization studies and microstructure/fracture topography correlations.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, August 3 – August 7, 2008

Optical Microscopy of Fiber-Reinforced Composites discusses the tools and techniques used to examine the microstructure of engineered composites and provides insights that can help improve the quality and performance of parts made from them. It begins with a review of fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composites and their unique microstructure and morphology. It then explains how to prepare and mount test samples, how to assess lighting, illumination, and contrast needs, and how to use reagents to bring out different phases and areas of interest. It also presents the results of several studies that have been conducted using optical microscopy to gain a better understanding of processing effects, toughening approaches, defects and damage mechanisms, and structural variations. The book includes more than 180 full-color images along with clear and concise explanations of what they reveal about composite materials and processing methods. For information on the print version, ISBN 978-1-61503-044-6, follow this link.

This paper is a follow-up and update of the article “Titanium and Its Alloys” in Volume 9 of the ASM Handbook, Metallography and Microstructures [1]. Because of its inherent characteristics, titanium is one of the more difficult metals to prepare for metallographic examination, as illustrated below. The challenge is to understand and minimize metallographic preparation artifacts through an understanding of their cause. They will be introduced if the wrong preparation steps and/or etching techniques are applied. For example, if one used the metallographic preparation process for a body centered cubic tempered martensitic steel, etching of Ti and its alloys would not reveal the true structure. This article covers the effect of etchant selection and etching time, the effect of remnant mechanical deformation and cold work produced during specimen preparation, the influence of interstitial contamination and enrichment on the microstructure, and the effect of these problems on heat affected zones.