Characterization (materials science)

In a nutshell

Characterization in materials science is the broad and general process by which a material's structure and properties are probed and measured. It is a fundamental process in the field of materials science, without which no scientific understanding of engineering materials could be ascertained. The scope of the term often differs; some definitions limit the term's use to techniques which study the microscopic structure and properties of materials, while others use the term to refer to any materials analysis process including macroscopic techniques such as mechanical testing, thermal analysis and density calculation. The scale of the structures observed in materials characterization ranges from angstroms, such as in the imaging of individual atoms and chemical bonds, up to centimeters, such as in the imaging of coarse grain structures in metals.

Related on Lably

Through Electron microscope, Microscopy and Photon

Lab · Class 8–11Inside the Cell Lab · Class 6–12Atomic Spectra & Starlight

Dual Nature of Radiation and MatterClass 12 · Physics

While many characterization techniques have been practiced for centuries, such as basic optical microscopy, new techniques and methodologies are constantly emerging. In particular the advent of the electron microscope and secondary ion mass spectrometry in the 20th century has revolutionized the field, allowing the imaging and analysis of structures and compositions on much smaller scales than was previously possible, leading to a huge increase in the level of understanding as to why different materials show different properties and behaviors. More recently, atomic force microscopy has further increased the maximum possible resolution for analysis of certain samples in the last 30 years.

Microscopy

Microscopy is a category of characterization techniques which probe and map the surface and sub-surface structure of a material. These techniques can use photons, electrons, ions or physical cantilever probes to gather data about a sample's structure on a range of length scales. Some common examples of microscopy techniques include:

Optical microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Field ion microscopy (FIM)
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM)
- Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
- Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
X-ray diffraction topography (XRT)
Atom-Probe Tomography (APT)

2 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Materials

CottonPlant fiber from the genus Gossypium TextileVarious fibre-based materials WoodFibrous material from trees or other plants GlassTransparent non-crystalline solid material PlasticMaterial of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids Natural rubberPolymer harvested from certain trees

Characterization (materials science)

Microscopy

Spectroscopy

Optical radiation

X-ray

Mass spectrometry

Nuclear spectroscopy

Other

Macroscopic testing

More in Materials