| Abstract | For the measurement of the characteristics of lamellar structures, such as pearlite (Fe 3 C and ferrite) in steel and Widmanstätten alpha-beta in titanium alloys, the application of laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) enables three-dimensional imaging with a resolution capability that allows quantification of the interlamellar spacing and lamellae thickness with statistical confidence. In particular, z-axis (height) or topographic profiling using LSCM permits accurate measurement of the lamellae spacing and thickness due to the possibility for selecting colony regions in the lamellar structure that are perpendicular to the observation plane. Hence, the application of LSCM for materials characterization has the advantage of permitting relatively simple, effective and efficient analytical output as compared to field emi ssion scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. However, although LSCM is an established characterization method in biological sciences, this technique is recent to the materials science field in North America. |
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