Analysis of Grain- and Particle-Size Distributions in Metallic Materials

Abstract

The size of grains and particles in metallic structures strongly influences many of the properties of the material. The kinetics of metallurgical processes, e.g. recrystallization, grain and particle growth, phase transformations, or sintering, are decisively determined by driving forces related to surface energy and, in turn, to the dispersion of the structural elements. Size and size distribution, therefore, rank as the most important parameters in describing the microstructure of materials.