FFS: Field Metallographic Replication (FMR) - When
it helps, and when it doesn’t
By Greg Garic, Managing Principal at Stress Engineering Services, Inc.
Field Metallographic Replication, or “FMR”, is a nondestructive way to get a look at
a material’s surface microstructure.
But before we jump into a discussion of FMR, let’s review traditional microstructural
evaluation so we can better compare and contrast the two.
Traditional Microstructural Evaluation
In traditional microstructural evaluation, a piece of metal is removed from a
component. It is cut down to a small size, mounted, polished, and etched to reveal the
microscopic structure (microstructure) of the metal. For the convenience of handling,
once the sample is cut down to final size, it is mounted in a cylinder of poured resin
(Figure 1), called a “mount.” A mount is made from epoxy, Bakelite, acrylic, or
melamine and is poured around the sample in a cylindrical mold.
Before a metal sample is cut from a component, we can choose where to make the
cuts and in which orientation to mount the sample in order to best achieve our
objectives.
Figure 1. Metal Specimen in Bakelite "Mount."
The orientation of the specimen in the mount is selected by the metallurgist. Figure 2
illustrates a specimen taken from a pipe wall and mounted such that the through-
thickness face can be examined (i.e., OD to ID).
Figure 2. Mounting a Specimen in Epoxy.
In this case, the variation in microstructure can be examined and, if desired,
microhardness measurements can be taken, from OD to ID.
Once the specimen is mounted as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2c, the specimen must
be polished to a mirror finish to remove all scratches. Lastly, the highly polished
surface is etched to prepare it for examination under a microscope. Sometimes the
etchant is an acid, sometimes it’s a base, but it is always selected for the specific
material being examined. The purpose of the etch is to reveal the grain boundaries and
characteristics of the grains. To understand this, you must understand a little bit about
the structure of metals.
Lattice Structure of Steel
Most metals (including steel) are crystalline in their solid state. This implies a highly
organized arrangement of the atoms in a lattice structure. The lattice structure may be
of different forms depending on several factors, such as the material and cooling rate.
The terms “face-centered cubic” and “body-centered cubic” refer to different lattice
structures.
As a steel transforms from a liquid to a solid, crystals begin to form. Many crystals
begin to form simultaneously throughout the material, and they grow as the metal
continues to cool.
A single crystal constitutes one grain. In one grain, the atoms are organized into one
unified lattice structure. Adjacent, growing crystals (i.e., grains) bump into one
another as they grow, creating “grain boundaries” (see Figure 3). The different grains
themselves can have different lattice structures and different chemistry. The grain
boundaries are a disorganized region of varying structure and chemistry.
Figure 3. Colliding Grains Form Grain Boundaries.
The end result of these microstructural variations is that, when etched with acid, the
grains and grain boundaries, as well as different grains, etch at different rates. The
result is that they look different under the microscope. Thus, the metallurgist can see
grain boundaries and distinguish different grain structures such as pearlite, martensite,
or ferrite (see Figure 4).
Figure 4. Ferrite and Pearlite Microstructure.
Traditional metallography is performed in a lab with high-quality equipment and
yields the best possible micrographs. Of course, it has one big disadvantage – you
must cut a piece out of the component.
What is FMR?
For those cases when you really don’t want to cut out a piece of metal, wouldn’t it be
great if you could evaluate the microstructure by some less destructive means! FMR
is the nondestructive alternative to traditional metallography.
The FMR process is generally very similar to traditional metallography, but with a
few important differences. The FMR process goes like this:
• Polish the exposed surface of the metal in situ – A small, quarter-sized area
of the component is polished in place; i.e., without cutting out a specimen
(see Figure 5). Special field polishing equipment is used.
Figure 5. Spot Polished for FMR.
• Perform etching just like one would in traditional metallography, but this is
performed in situ.
• Create replicas – Unlike traditional metallography, an imprint of the
microstructure is created in the field and it is taken back to the lab for
microscopic examination.
Creation of the replicas is a simple process. The main ingredients are acetate tape and
acetone. The acetate tape is on a roll very similar to a typical roll of scotch tape. The
key to replication is that the acetone is a solvent to the acetate tape. The tape becomes
very soft and pliable when exposed to acetone.
