2. Critical inventory of the possibilities offered by various methods

2.1 Imaging

For a long time, observing images with an optical microscope was the only option available in metallurgy. It remained one of the fundamental bases, despite the significant development of electron microscopy, first transmission, then scanning, which really opened up new horizons in terms of observable scale.

Today, image processing and analysis – both optical and electronic –, whose capabilities and processing speed are improving at a considerable pace, are taking metallurgical imaging to a fundamental new stage: the transition from qualitative to quantitative.

Add to this the emergence or development of other methods such as scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), conventional or scanning acoustic microscopy (SEAM), X-ray microtomography...