Etchants in Metallography
Etchants are chemical solutions used in metallography to reveal the microstructure of materials. They selectively corrode specific components of a sample, making visible the details of grain boundaries, phases, and other structural features.
How Etchants Help:
- Revealing Microstructures: Etchants help uncover the microstructure, including grain size, shape, and phase distribution.
- Identifying Material Phases: Different etchants react with specific phases to highlight their distribution within the material.
- Enhancing Contrast: By etching surfaces, contrast is improved, facilitating microscopic analysis.
