NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME

ME2151E: PRINCIPLES OF MECHANICAL ENG. MATERIALS

Title: Metallography
(Lab 2)

1
Introduction
Metallography can be defined as the visual study of the constitution and structure of materials.
Metallographic examinations can be broadly classified into two types namely, macroscopic
examinations and microscopic examinations. Macroscopic examinations refer to the
observations carried out at a magnification of X10 of less. Microscopic examinations, on the
other hand, refer to the examination of the structure at a magnification greater than X10.
Microscopic examinations, depending on the nature of information to be extracted, can be
accomplished using an Optical Microscope (up to X2000) or Scanning Electron Microscope
(up to X 50000) or a Transmission Electron Microscope (up to X500000). For most of the
routine purposes in optical microscope is used to obtain first hand information on the
geometric arrangement of the grains and phases in a material. In order to retain the
information visualized using the microscope, microstructural details are often recorded on a
35 mm film or a Polaroid film. The photograph thus obtained, revealing the microstructural
details, taken at a magnification of greater than X10 is known as a photomicrograph.
Maintaining a record of the microstructural studies in the form of photomicrographs is a
common practice employed by research scholars and leading laboratories all over the world.
The study of microstructure details is important due to its correlation with the ensuing
mechanical properties of the material. As an example, if material A exhibits a more
homogeneous and refined microstructure than material B , it may very well be anticipated
that material A will exhibit better room temperature properties when compared to material B.

Objective
The objective of this lab session is to have a better understanding in the metallographic
preparation of metallic specimens and to compare the properties between the different types
of microstructures that form due to fusion welding of steel.

2
Experimental Results
Overview of the 5 different microstructure in welded steel

Detail microstructures of the five different zones

Magnifications used in observing these five different zones are at 50m.

Weld Metal Zone Grain Growth Zone Grain Refinement Zone

(Fusion Zone)

Transition Zone Unaffected Zone

3
Analysis of Results/ Discussion
As seen from the results, through welding, there will be different regions of heat affected
zone with the source of the heat in the middle. These different regions are subjected to a
different degree of heat during the welding process as the degree of heat along the mild steel
bar during the welding process varies, leading to different microstructure formation in each
region.

Weld Metal Zone (Fusion Zone)

The Weld Metal Zone (Fusion Zone) is the region that is heated to the melting point followed
by cooling. This is the zone where heating is the most severe compared to other zones and
have grains larger than those in the base metal. The presence of the Columnar grains is
formed due to rapid cooling of molten metal, and needle-like structure known as the
Widmanstatten structure can be seen around the grain, formed due to large austenite grains
experiencing moderately fast cooling rate. From the microscopic image, no distinct grain
boundary can be found in this zone.

Grain Growth Zone

In the Grain Growth Zone, it shows the effect of high temperature treatment. High
temperature causes a significant growth of austenite grains. The size of the grains enlarged
due to the prolong heat treatment at a temperature higher than recrystallization temperature
but lower than melting point. The Widmanstatten structure is observed among the large
ferrite grains in the structure. After cooling down to room temperature, the structure retained
as a region of coarse ferrite grains, Widmanstatten ferrite and pearlite due to insufficient time
for the carbon to diffuse out. The difference between grain growth zone and weld metal zone
is more noticeable than between the other zones.

Grain Refinement Zone

In the Grain Refinement Zone, the size of the grains is very small as observed from the
microscopic image. It is heated to the temperature range with respect to the austenite phase in
the Fe-Fe3C phase. However, there is insufficient heat conducted for grain growth to occur.
The austenite grains started to nucleate to form smaller austenite grains due to relatively
lower temperature. Upon cooling, these smaller austenite grains will turn into fine ferrite and
pearlite grains where pearlite are seen as black spots in the microscopic image.

Transition Zone
In the Transition Zone, the parent metal is heated during welding, (but less than at the fusion
zone), to a temperature region where ferrite and austenite grains coexists which most of the
pearlite grains have been transformed into small austenite grains at a temperature above
727C but below 912C. Upon cooling, comes formation of very fine pearlite grains with
ragged looking boundaries among the untransformed original ferrite grain.

Unaffected Zone
The Unaffected Zone is the region of the parent metal where heat has not reached beyond the
eutectoid temperature of 727C thus no observable structural change is observed. Pearlite
phase still exists among the ferrite grains on the grain boundaries.

4
Discussion
For the lab, we are tasked to do grinding and polishing on the encapsulated specimens which
are mild steel plates (0.15% C) cut and mounted in thermosetting plastic mounts after being
welded together by electric arc welding process using a general purpose electrode.

The specimens were observed to have many scratches on its surface before the experiment as
shown in the photo below

Initial Specimens before grinding and polishing

We use a semi-auto grinding and polishing machine known as the MetaServ 250 for this
experiment where we grind using silicon carbide paper and a cloth covered rotating disc with
Alumina (Fine abrasive aluminum oxide powder suspended in water). We have to be careful
in handling the specimen so as not to leave our fingerprint on the surface which may easily
scratch a polished surface.

Final Product after grinding and polishing

Conclusion
Through this experiment, it allow us to gain a better understanding on the steps required for
metallographic preparation like grinding and polishing so as to remove deep and fine
scratches depending on the coarseness of the sandpaper material used.

This experiment also allow us to study the various microstructures in a welded mild steel
joint and to acquire a better understanding of the formation of different microstructure zones
in the welded specimen. The optical microscope provides the microscopic view to observe
the changes that can be found on the surface of the sample of different grain structures due to
change in temperature and corresponding cooling rate which affects the nucleation and
redistribution of the grains.