OBSERVATION OF PRECIPITATES AND METALLOGRAPHIC GRAIN ORIENTATION IN STEEL BY A NON-AQUEOUS ELECTROLYTE-POTENTIOSTATIC ETCHING METHOD

A new potentiostatic etching method using non-aqueous solutions as an electrolyte has been developed and applied to the observation and analysis of precipitates and metallographic grain orientation in steel samples. In the proposed SPEED Method, samples are etched at the predetermined constant electrolytical potential in various non-aqueous solutions. Advantages of this new method are discussed.