Editing Metallurgy (section)

==Characterization==
{{Main|Characterization (materials science)|label 1 = Characterization}}
[[File:AlubronzeCuAl20v500.png|thumb|Metallography allows the metallurgist to study the microstructure of metals.]] [[Metallurgist]]s study the microscopic and macroscopic structure of metals using [[metallography]], a technique invented by [[Henry Clifton Sorby]].

In metallography, an alloy of interest is ground flat and polished to a mirror finish. The sample can then be etched to reveal the microstructure and macrostructure of the metal. The sample is then examined in an optical or [[electron microscope]], and the image contrast provides details on the composition, mechanical properties, and processing history.

[[Crystallography]], often using [[diffraction]] of [[x-ray]]s or [[electron]]s, is another valuable tool available to the modern metallurgist. Crystallography allows identification of unknown materials and reveals the crystal structure of the sample. Quantitative crystallography can be used to calculate the amount of phases present as well as the degree of strain to which a sample has been subjected.

Current advanced characterization techniques, which are used frequently in this field are: [[Scanning electron microscope|Scanning Electron Microscopy]] (SEM), [[Transmission electron microscopy|Transmission Electron Microscopy]] (TEM), [[Electron backscatter diffraction|Electron Backscattered Diffraction]] (EBSD) and [[Atom probe|Atom-Probe Tomography]] (APT).