Improvements in the Metallography of Ferritic–Martensitic Steels Through a Color Etching Procedure

We introduce an improved etching procedure specially optimized for high-throughput metallography of ferritic–martensitic steels. The procedure involves color etching with or without interference contrast microscopy. By this process, prior austenite grain structure is unambiguously revealed, with accuracy equivalent to that yielded by EBSD. Additionally, the distinction between phases with similar crystallography is made possible through this process. The etchant also qualitatively indicates the presence of crystallographic texture in ferritic–martensitic steel.