Metallographic Preparation and Etching of Additively Manufactured Materials

The microstructure of Additively Manufactured materials has become an area of rapidly increasing interest, as advances in processing techniques and improved control make the approach more viable for a wider range of materials and applications. This has led to new challenges in microstructural characterization, due to the differences in both the structure itself and in the analysis needs compared with traditional processing routes. Best practice recommendations are given for metallographic preparation - how to recognize problems and how to address them, as well as examples of etching techniques appropriate to a range of additively manufactured materials.