Round robin on grain size measurement for advanced technical ceramics

The results of a joint CEN/VAMAS round robin on grain size measurement for advanced tech. ceramics have been analyzed. Twenty-five participants from Europe, USA and Japan employed a line and circle method for detn. of the mean linear intercept length, and grid methods for detn. of a grain size distribution. The results show that the scatter obtained for measurement of the mean linear intercept length and the grain size distribution is primarily due to the influence of micrograph prepn. and interpretation and, to a lesser extent, also due to random positioning of lines, circles and grids. The results for the mean linear intercept length measurement validate the methods described in a proposed CEN std. The grid methods for grain size distribution measurement seem suitable for implementation in future stds. Micrograph prepn. and interpretation should be given special attention, as these factors are of major importance for consistent results. [on SciFinder (R)]