metallography

met·al·log·ra·phy

noun \ˌme-t^əl-ˈä-grə-fē\

Definition of METALLOGRAPHY

: a study of the structure of metals especially with the microscope

— met·al·log·ra·pher \ˌme-t^əl-ˈä-grə-fər\ noun

— me·tal·lo·graph·ic \mə-ˌta-lə-ˈgra-fik\ adjective

— me·tal·lo·graph·i·cal·ly \-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Origin of METALLOGRAPHY

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: 1871

metallography

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Study of the structure of metals and alloys, particularly using microscopic and X-ray diffraction techniques. Visual and optical microscopic observation of metal surfaces and fractures can reveal valuable information about the crystalline, chemical, and mechanical makeup of the material. In electron microscopes a beam of electrons instead of a beam of light is directed onto the specimen. The development of transmission electron microscopes has made it possible to examine internal details of very thin metal foils. X-ray diffraction techniques are used to study phenomena related to the grouping of the atoms themselves. See also materials science, Henry C. Sorby.