Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of aluminium & magnesium

Abstract

Aluminium and magnesium alloys have become increasingly popular for use in various engineering applications such as in the automotive and aerospace industries due to their relatively lower densities, strength, stiffness and relatively lower costs. Hence it is important to determine and understand the causes of failure in these alloys. The aim of this project is to prepare Aluminium 6061-T6 alloy and Magnesium-Aluminium alloy that have been loaded to failure using metallographic processes to reveal their microstructure. The microstructure of a material has a strong influence on its mechanical properties, which in turn determines its usefulness in engineering applications [1]. Examination and analysis of the microstructure using the Optical Microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy will be conducted, the results of which will be compared with reliable sources to validate the results, and in doing so, show the usefulness of Scanning Electron Microscopy in failure analysis.