Metallography

Fractography

  • Microstructure examination
  • Electron probe microanalysis
  • Fractography – fracture surface analysis
  • Determination of area fraction of phases by means of image analysis
  • Measurement of grain size
  • Metallographic determination of non-metallic inclusion content
  • Microscopic measurement of layer thickness
  • Metallographic evaluation of the microstructure of cast iron
  • End quench hardenability tests
  • Measurement of hardness (in our laboratories and on site)
  • Macroscopic investigation of machine components

The metallographic laboratory is testing laboratory no. 1476 accredited by the Czech Accreditation Institute:


Equipment of the laboratory

  • Optical (light) microscopes Nikon, Carl Zeiss (magnification 50x - 1000x) and Keyence, bright and dark field, Nomarski DIC, fully automatic motorized stage (enable documentation of large areas with multiple field of view), software for digital image analysis processing
  • Durascan automatic micro hardness tester (Vickers load HV 0.01 - HV10, Knoop hardness)
  • Instrumented nanoindentor - NanoTest Vantage: Load range: from 10 μN to 500 mN (3 nN resolution)
  • X-ray diffractometer BRUKER D8 Discover - quantitative and qualitative phase analysis, measurement of internal stresses, texture evaluation
  • JEOL Scanning Electron Microscopes
  • Detectors: secondary electrons (SE), backscattered electrons (BSE), INCA and EDAX energy dispersive analysis (EDS) detectors, EBSD high speed EDAX camera
  • Other equipment - ion polisher for sample preparation for scanning electron microscopy - analysis of grains and sub-grains, low and high angle boundaries, textures and for crystallographic identification of phases
  • Equipment for on-site analysis – mobile polisher, mobile microscope, replicas, hardness measurement at the customer
Grains Weld
Microstructure of quenched and tempered steel etched to reveal prior austenite grain boundaries

Close-up view of weld

 

Macrograph
Longitudinal section through a specimen after physical simulation of thermomechanical treatment. Specimen length: approx. 15  mm; specimen width: 6  mm. This micrograph was taken using an optical microscope with an automatic stage and pasted together from 28 fields of view.

Conference of Student Trade Union Presentations

Nov 12, 2024

The 16th annual Conference of Student Trade Union Presentations in Foreign Languages is taking place today, 12 November 2024, at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. ... more

International project MOWSES

Nov 5, 2024

COMTES FHT is involved in the international research project MOWSES (Multi-Faceted Assessment and Optimization of Welded Structural Green Steel Plates for Use in European Sustainable Infrastructure) within the Horizon Europe programme. ... more