The Metallography of Copper and Copper Alloys

There are a large number of Copper base alloys which are used in the most diverse applications. Consequently, the microstructures and appearance of failures which occur due to the overloading of Copper materials are also many and varied. In this article, examples of typical microstructures of Copper and low and high alloyed Copper alloys are presented and the most important physical metallurgical relationships and characteristics explained. A number of examples of technical failures are discussed. All of the optical microscopic examinations were carried out using the same method of specimen preparation and etching.