Measurement of average grain volume and certain topological parameters by serial section analysis

Abstract

Serial section analysis is suitable for the measurement of such topological parameters of a polycrystalline aggregate as number of grains, of grain faces, of grain edges and of grain corners in unit volume of the material. The number of grains in unit volume is of particular interest, because its reciprocal is the average grain volume, which is the only available shape-insensitive measure of grain size. An experimental approach to the serial section analysis of polycrystalline structures is developed.