UNITED STATES
(English)
country:
UNITED STATES
language:
English
Italiano
Choose your country
join us
Reserved Area
Accreditation
Company
Company
Mission & vision
Our story
Our values
TEC Eurolab Board
Network
tec eurolab & kaizen
Corporate responsability
Services
Non-destructive testing
R&D
Certification
Inspection
Training
Sectors
Automotive & Racing
Aerospace & Defense
Manufacturing
Biomedical
Electronic
Topics
Additive manufacturing
Composites
Fasteners
Paints & coatings
Failure analysis
Welding
ROHS
News and Events
News and events
Case study
Contact us
Contact us
Labs location
TEC Eurolab Newsletter
Careers
›
‹
Glossary of terms
>
Microstructrural aspects
Microstructrural aspects
Brittle fractures usually propagate by either or both of two fracture modes:
cleavage
intergranular
In most cases it is necessary to study the fracture surface with an electron microscope. Since very high magnifications are usually not necessary, a scanning electron microscope is usually preferred to a transmission electron microscope.
Cleavage fractures are characterized by splitting of the crystals, or grains, along specific crystallographic planes without respect to the grain boundaries. Since the fracture goes through the grains, this type of fracture is frequently referred to as transgranular, or transcrystalline. Cleavage fractures are the most common type of brittle fracture and are the normal mode of fracture unless the grain boundaries have been weakened by a specific environment or process.
It will be noted that the pattern is characterized by the joining together of microscopic ridges, much like the joining of tributaries of a river system to form the main stream of the river. This pattern reveals the direction that the fracture ran; the fracture propagated in the same direction that the water in a river flows: downstream.
Intergranular fractures are those that follow grain boundaries weakened for any of several reasons. An analogy may be made to a brick wall, which fractures through the mortar rather than through the bricks themselves. The mortar is analogous to the grain boundaries, while the bricks are analogous to the metal grains.
The reasons for weakened grain boundaries are frequently very subtle and poorly understood. Under certain conditions some metals are subject to migration or diffusion of embrittling elements or compounds to the grain boundaries.
previous:
Microshrinkage
next:
Microstructrural aspects
Glossary of terms
Our team of experts is ready to help you test and improve materials, products and processes.
Send us your request
TEC Eurolab Srl
- Viale Europa, 40 - 41011 Campogalliano (Mo) - Italy
Tel:
+39 059 527775 -
Fax:
+39 059 527773 -
Email:
info@tec-eurolab.com
VAT
e
C.F
02452540368
Share on:
Tag directory
Site map
Top searches
Utility
Glossary
Download contents
Copyright © 2005-2021 TEC Eurolab Srl
[ Privacy Policy ]
[ Privacy information ]
[ Cookie policy information ]
[ Legal ]
[ Terms of sale ]
Contact us
to learn more or request your tomographic analysis
click here
X