Inclusion measurement by ASTM E 1245

CIM Bulletin, Vol. 91, No. 1021, 1998

G.F. Vander Voort
Research and Technology, Buehler Ltd., Lake Bluff, Illinois, United States

Over the past twenty years, steel makers have introduced improved practices for reducing the inclusion content of steels. The success of these practice changes can be monitored in a variety of ways. Chemical analysis of the bulk sulphur and oxygen contents provides a relatively simple means to assess the impact of these changes. However, microscopical test methods are still needed to assess the nature of the inclusions present. Traditional chart-based measuremnet methods have wide acceptability, and their data are well are understood by both purchaser and producer for heat acceptance purposes. However these methods do have inherent weaknessess which limit their usefulness for quality control, SPC, and database applications. Image analysis-based chart measurements are an improvement over manually generated chart ratings, but the data still do not lend themselves to databases and statistical comparisons, ASTM Committtee E-4 on Metallography has developed a stereologically-based image analysis standard test method, E1245, which provides the necessry data in a form which is easily databased and anal

Keywords: Metallurgy, Inclusion measurement, Steel