ASTM_E_1351_-_01_2012.pdf

Designation:E135101(Reapproved 2012)Standard Practice forProduction and Evaluation of Field Metallographic Replicas1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E1351;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.INTRODUCTIONReplication is a nondestructive sampling procedure which records and preserves the topography ofa metallographic specimen as a negative relief on a plastic film.The microstructural replica can beexamined using a light microscope(LM)or scanning electron microscope(SEM)for subsequentanalysis.Specimens examined in the SEM are vacuum coated with vaporized carbon or a suitablemetal to provide contrast and conductivity.The convenience of the replication process makes itsuitable for obtaining microstructures from field locations for subsequent examination and analysis ina laboratory.The proper preparation of the test surface and of the replica itself is of paramountimportance and must receive careful attention.Because of the diversity of metallographic equipmentavailable and the wide range of environments in which replication is conducted,the preparation ofreplicas of high quality should be viewed as a skilled process for which there exists a variety oftechniques that achieve satisfactory results.This practice presents some guidelines on the preparation of metallic surfaces and production ofreplicas and guidelines on evaluation of replica quality.It does not attempt to limit the variations intechnique developed by skilled metallographers,each of which may produce acceptable replicas.1.Scope1.1 This practice covers recognized methods for the prepa-ration and evaluation of cellulose acetate or plastic filmreplicas which have been obtained from metallographicallyprepared surfaces.It is designed for the evaluation of replicasto ensure that all significant features of a metallographicallyprepared surface have been duplicated and preserved on thereplica with sufficient detail to permit both LM and SEMexamination with optimum resolution and sensitivity.1.2 This practice may be used as a controlling document incommercial situations.1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.Inch-pound units given in parentheses are for infor-mation only.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2A335/A335M Specification for Seamless Ferritic Alloy-Steel Pipe for High-Temperature ServiceE3 Guide for Preparation of Metallographic SpecimensE7 Terminology Relating to MetallographyE407 Practice for Microetching Metals and Alloys3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of terms used in thispractice,refer to Terminology E7.4.Significance and Use4.1 Replication is a nondestructive sampling procedure thatrecords and preserves the topography of a metallographicallyprepared surface as a negative relief on a plastic film(replica).The replica permits the examination and analysis of themetallographically prepared surface on the LM or SEM.4.2 Enhancement procedures for improving replica contrastfor microscopic examination are utilized and sometimes nec-essary(see 8.1).1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E04 on Metallog-raphy and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E04.01 on SpecimenPreparation.Current edition approved Oct.1,2012.Published October 2012.Originallyapproved in 1990.Last previous edition approved in 2006 as E1351 01(2006).DOI:10.1520/E1351-01R12.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 NOTE1It is recommended that the purchaser of a field replicationservice specify that each replicator demonstrate proficiency by providingfield prepared replica metallography and direct LM and SEM comparisonto laboratory prepared samples of an identical material by grade andservice exposure.5.Evaluation Methods5.1 A suitable replica should accurately reproduce all themicrostructural features present on the surface that was repli-cated.5.2 No visible loss of resolution is permitted over thenormal range of magnifications on the LM as shown in Figs.1-3.5.3 The resolution of the structural detail in the replicashould exceed 0.1 m to permit SEM examination at highmagnifications(up to 5000).See Figs.4-6.6.Metal Surface Preparation6.1 If magnetic particle testing was