Microstructure

The microstructure of a metal (or a non-metal) is the internal structure of the metal. A metal is made up of different grains (like grains of sand-but all firmly stuck together) and phases (like chocolate chips, walnuts, etc. in a cookie). This internal microstructure is related to the chemistry or chemical elements that are in the metal, and many other factors such as rolling, forming, heat treatment, etc. To examine the microstructure, the metal object is cut and the cut edge is polished and etched with dilute acid. This process reveals the microstructure which is then viewed with a microscope at various levels of magnification.