Microscopy Techniques for Materials Science [Hardcover]

Materials science has witnessed incredible change and technological development over the past few decades in the applications of optical microscopy. So fast has been the pace of this change that there is a real need for a new book that covers the potential of the latest optical microscopes for materials science research. The main objective for computer-assisted microscopy is to make the most effective measurements of the 3D structure of materials and to make the measurement as quickly and efficiently as possible so as to interpret the resulting images without undue bias. This comprehensive new reference work provides an overview of and practical guide to the various computer-aided microscopical techniques used in materials science today. After introducing the reader to the basic concepts of optics, the interactions between light and matter, and image processing, the book goes on to discuss in depth both 2-d reflection microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The application of these techniques to the characterisation of materials is abundantly illustrated by hundreds of photographs and illustrations and through specific case studies. There is also discussion of other modern optical imaging techniques and of non-optical ones such as x-ray micrography. This comprehensive reference text will be essential both for beginners looking for an introduction to the subject as well as advanced materials researchers in the fields where optical microscopy is used. Part 1 reviews the basic principles behind the traditional view of optics and optical microscope design and covers microelectronics including the role of computer hardware, software and image analysis Part 2 discusses the practical issues involved with the acquisition and interpretation of images from standard optical reflection microscopes and confocal laser scanning microscopes (CLSMs). Two major case studies are discussed which aim to show the reader how ideas from Part 1 are synthesised into real applications Part 3 focuses on alternative, non-optical microscopy techniques for the characterisation of material structures and two further case studies are presented on the use of X-ray microtomography and low frequency ultrasonics for fibre-reinforced polymer composites research

Materials science has witnessed incredible change and technological development over the past few decades in the applications of optical microscopy. So fast has been the pace of this change that there is a real need for a new book that covers the potential of the latest optical microscopes for materials science research. The main objective for computer-assisted microscopy is to make the most effective measurements of the 3D structure of materials and to make the measurement as quickly and efficiently as possible so as to interpret the resulting images without undue bias.

Part 1 reviews the basic principles behind the traditional view of optics and optical microscope design and covers microelectronics including the role of computer hardware, software and image analysis

Part 2 discusses the practical issues involved with the acquisition and interpretation of images from standard optical reflection microscopes and confocal laser scanning microscopes (CLSMs). Two major case studies are discussed which aim to show the reader how ideas from Part 1 are synthesised into real applications

Part 3 focuses on alternative, non-optical microscopy techniques for the characterisation of material structures and two further case studies are presented on the use of X-ray microtomography and low frequency ultrasonics for fibre-reinforced polymer composites research

Dr Ashley Clarke graduated from Imperial College, London in 1967 and gained his doctorate there in space physics in 1972. After a research assistantship at Imperial College he joined the University of Leeds as a lecturer in physics in 1972. In the 1980s he designed the microprocessor-based, Vela datalogger for school science laboratories. He was appointed Senior Lecturer in 1991. For the past thirty years, he has been actively involved with various research activities: ground-based astronomy, balloon-based and far-infrared astronomy and computer-assisted microscopy for materials science. He has lectured physics, electronics and microelectronics and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Microscopy. Dr Colin Eberhardt graduated from the University of Leeds in 1996 with a degree in Physics and Mathematics. He later undertook his PhD under the supervision of Dr Clarke. His PhD thesis involved work with ICI and Du Pont, focusing on automated microscopy techniques for materials characterisation. Following the completion of his PhD, he continued to work within the group as a Research Fellow and his interests broadened to include studies of textiles using X-Ray microtomography. Dr Eberhardt is currently a Product Specialist within the microscopy and imaging company, VisiTech International and is a Light Microscopy Section committee member in the Royal Microscopical Society.