Glossary

Attaque chimique; chemical etching

Bringing a chemical compound into contact with the surface to be observed, in order to obtain a difference in relief or coloration between the different constituents, or between oriented crystals of the same phase.

Cassure conchoïdale; conchoidal fracture

Clean, curved, smooth, conch-like fracture.

Métallographie; metallography

Study the nature of the structure of metals on a microscopic scale using optical observation of specially prepared samples.

Microstructure; microstructure

The microscopic structure of steels, made up mainly of individual crystalline zones called grains, whose size, orientation and crystal lattice determine their physical and chemical properties.