One of the main challenges in the metal industry is the correct structural analysis of these materials. It is important to study their microstructure to achieve the necessary quality of alloys such as steel or aluminum. In this way, these elements are given the necessary characteristics for the different industrial applications in which they are required. An example of an appropriate grain study is the one done in the automotive industry, where the dimension and distribution of its structure are studied in depth to guarantee products that withstand extreme conditions, in addition to protecting the lives of drivers or passengers.
Properties that we need to know about the structure of metals
One of the main needs in the metal industry is to understand the internal structure of the different alloys. This construction is composed of individual crystalline areas, known as metal grains. Now, when talking about composition or alloy, we refer to the orientation, structure, and size of these grains and the way they have been forged or cast.
When an alloy or metal is processed, it acquires certain values in the atoms of each growing grain. Allowing these elements to align depending on the specific pattern that is wanted to obtain the required material, all this depending on the crystalline structure that the sample may present. As it grows, each of these grains collides with another and an interface is created with various types of atomic orientation, which provides the different materials we know in metals.
Various tests have shown that the different mechanical properties of metal improve as the grains of its structure decrease in dimension. For this reason, it is essential that the various processes of composition of the alloys are controlled as much as possible, as this is how the desired size of the metal grains can be obtained.
External influences that can affect the characteristics of metal grains
There are various influences that can affect the structural characteristics of these crystalline elements in metals. The size, orientation, and many other structural characteristics of this type of grain are closely related to the technological or mechanical properties of these materials. Now, among the external influences that can affect or allow these properties to be achieved are the following:
- Chemical influences, where processes such as corrosion in metals stand out.
- Physical influences in processes such as heat treatments.
- Finally, the mechanical influences that are transmitted through the formation process that can be forging, bending, rolling, among others.
Main challenges with metal grains
One of the main challenges to overcome in previous years was in the handling and control of metal grains. Mainly because the various laboratories where these elements' quality control activities were carried out used the ASTM grid comparison as the main analysis method for these crystalline elements. This procedure consists of the various test operators making visual estimates of the grain dimensions while comparing an image under a microscope with a micrographic grid or introducing an ocular reticle that contains predetermined images of the patterns with the various composition sizes.
However, in this process the grain size was valued by an operator's estimate, so it was normal to obtain inaccurate results, as there is a high degree of human interpretation throughout the process. In addition, quality control technicians manually enter the results into a spreadsheet or some program that allows them to provide their report, which results in many opportunities for error.
Currently, modern metallurgical laboratories already exist, which offer a digital quality control process. This is due to advances in computer programs that have been implemented in the science of materials analysis, which have allowed operators to have a greater reference for analysis of metal grains. These must be in compliance with ASTM E112 and a large number of international standards for the industry.
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