Computer-aided imaging in ceramics

Quantitative microscopy has been used on materials for many years for establishing and meeting material specifications or relating process to properties. However, quantitative image analysis is used less extensively for ceramography than for metallography. Perhaps this is due to lack of suitable etchants for ceramic phases, lack of contrast mechanisms for either light optical or electron microscope, or lack of clear microstructural specification in ceramics. When computerized image analyzers became widely available over 10 years ago, materials scientists immediately put them to use for metals, but less so for ceramics. Now computer power and software are routinely and inexpensively available not only for rapid image analysis of thousands of particles or grains but also for the difficult image processing that is sometimes necessary to prepare images of ceramics for analysis. The tool has advanced to the point where it can be an important aid in quality control, production, R and D, and product specification. This paper provides examples of applications of computer-aided imaging to ceramics.