Astm E3-95
M EDesignation: E 3 – 95
An American National Standard
Standard Practice for
Preparation of Metallographic Specimens1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 3; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 The primary objective of metallographic examinations is to reveal the constituents and structure of metals and their alloys by means of the light microscope. In special cases, the objective of the examination may require the development of less detail than in other cases but, under nearly all conditions, the proper selection and preparation of the specimen is of major importance. Because of the diversity in available equipment and the wide variety of problems encountered, the following text presents for the guidance of the metallographer only those practices which experience has shown are generally satisfactory; it cannot and does not describe the variations in technique required to solve individual problems.
3. Significance and Use
3.1 Microstructures have a strong influence on the properties and successful application of metals and alloys. Determination and control of microstructure requires the use of metallographic examination.
3.2 Many specifications contain a requirement regarding microstructure; hence, a major use for metallographic examination is inspection to ensure that the requirement is met. Other major uses for metallographic examination are in failure analysis, and in research and development.
3.3 Proper choice of specimen location and orientation will minimize the number of specimens required and simplify their interpretation. It is easy to take too few
An American National Standard
Standard Practice for
Preparation of Metallographic Specimens1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 3; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 The primary objective of metallographic examinations is to reveal the constituents and structure of metals and their alloys by means of the light microscope. In special cases, the objective of the examination may require the development of less detail than in other cases but, under nearly all conditions, the proper selection and preparation of the specimen is of major importance. Because of the diversity in available equipment and the wide variety of problems encountered, the following text presents for the guidance of the metallographer only those practices which experience has shown are generally satisfactory; it cannot and does not describe the variations in technique required to solve individual problems.
3. Significance and Use
3.1 Microstructures have a strong influence on the properties and successful application of metals and alloys. Determination and control of microstructure requires the use of metallographic examination.
3.2 Many specifications contain a requirement regarding microstructure; hence, a major use for metallographic examination is inspection to ensure that the requirement is met. Other major uses for metallographic examination are in failure analysis, and in research and development.
3.3 Proper choice of specimen location and orientation will minimize the number of specimens required and simplify their interpretation. It is easy to take too few
References: (2) Zipp, R. D., “Preservation and Cleaning of Fracture for Fractography,” Scanning Electron Microscopy, Part I, 1979, pp Steel Institute, Vol 207, December 1969, pp. 1635–1638. Electron Microscope,” Micron, Vol 6, No. 3/4, 1975, pp. 141–146. (7) ASTM Task Group E24.02, “Clean Surfaces for Fractography,” ASTM STP 600, ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, 1976, pp (8) Hajicek, D. J., et al, “Development of a Cleaning Method for SEM Fractographic Analysis of Impulsively Loaded Cylinders,” Microstructural Science, Vol 5, Elsevier, NY, 1977, pp