Grain Size Measurement

According To ASTM
Standards

Jabin Mathew Benjamin

13MY04
Dept. of Metallurgical Engineering
 ASTM standard E112-10

Determination of planar grain size

A microscopically-determined grain size of No. 1

has 1.000 grains/in2 at 100X
 Comparison
procedure

GRAIN SIZE
MEASUREMENT

Intercept Planimetric
procedure procedure
Comparison Procedure

Comparison of the grain structure to a series of

graded images

Wall chart
Clear plastic overlays
An eyepiece reticle.
Use with a 10X objective
The following chart was used to make this image
METHODS FOR DETERMINING
THE AVERAGE GRAIN SIZE
ASTM METHODS E 112
PCN 12-501 120-10
Plate 1B
Untwinned Grains
100X
 Repeatability and reproducibility of 1 grain
size number.
Specimens consisting of equiaxed grains.
Comparison Charts
Plate IUntwinned grains (flat etch).
Plate IITwinned grains (flat etch)
Plate IIITwinned grains (contrast etch)
Plate IVAustenite grains in steel
Planimetric or Jeffries Procedure

Involves an actual count of the number of grains within a

known area.

Number of grains per unit area, NA, is used to determine

the ASTM grain size number, G.

Repeatability and reproducibility of 0.25 grain size units

Require marking off of the grains as they are counted.

Relationship Between Magnification Used and Jeffries
Multiplier, f, for an Area of 5000 mm2 (f= 0.0002 M 2)
Intercept Procedure
Actual count of the number of
grains intercepted
grain boundary, per unit length of test line

Lineal intercept length, used to determine the ASTM

grain size number, G.

Repeatability and reproducibility are less than 0.5

grain size units.

Faster than the planimetric method for the same level of

precision.

Structures consisting of elongated grains.

Heyn Lineal Intercept Procedure
The number of grains intercepted by one or more
straight lines sufficiently long to yield at least 50
intercepts.
Intercept
Intersection
Circular Intercept Method
Automatically compensate for departures from
equiaxed grain shapes
Ambiguous intersections at ends of test lines are
eliminated
ASTM No. 0 has a mean intercept
size of 32.00 at 100X.

lo = 32.00mm
 Reference

Abrams, H., Grain Size Measurement by

the Intercept Method, Metallography , Vol
4, 1971, pp. 5978.

Methods for determining the average

grain size ASTM methods E 112 PCN 12-
501 120-10
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