IntermediateTopic 61 of 100Materials & Chemical
Material characterisation
Microscopy, XRD and spectroscopy reveal structure and composition.
In depth
Techniques: optical and electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), X-ray diffraction (phase and lattice), EDS/WDS composition, XPS surface chemistry, thermal analysis (DSC, TGA), FTIR/Raman for polymers, AFM for surfaces, nanoindentation. Combine methods to link processing, structure and properties.
Key points
- Sample preparation
- Resolution and depth
- Standards and calibration
ExampleXRD identifies crystalline phases in a powder sample.
What is Material characterisation?
Microscopy, XRD and spectroscopy reveal structure and composition.
Why is it important to understand material characterisation?
Characterisation tools reveal the structure and composition of materials, so they link processing to properties.
What does X-ray diffraction tell you?
The crystal structure and phases present in a material, from the angles at which X-rays are diffracted by its atomic planes.
Why is microscopy important?
Optical and electron microscopes reveal grains, phases, inclusions and cracks that control the properties of a material.
How is Material characterisation used in practice?
Typical applications include using a microscope to measure grain size after heat treatment, identifying the phases in a corrosion product with X-ray diffraction and measuring the composition of a weld with spectroscopy.
What should I learn before Material characterisation?
Study "Non-destructive testing" first (topic 60 of 100 in Materials & Chemical). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Material characterisation?
Sample preparation. Resolution and depth. Standards and calibration.
Can you give an example of Material characterisation?
XRD identifies crystalline phases in a powder sample.
What comes after Material characterisation?
The next topic is "Recycling and life-cycle assessment", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Material characterisation?
It is classed as Intermediate in Materials & Chemical (topic 61 of 100). It is an intermediate topic. Work through the beginner topics in Materials & Chemical first.