Often metallurgical microscopes are used as measuring instruments for measuring thin films and electroplating coatings, inclusions, surface defects, and grain size. We provide eyepiece reticles and stage micrometers for calibrating. We also provide microscopy accessories such as attachments for microscope photography including digital camera microscope attachments, video cameras for viewing on a CCTV monitor, as well as USB computer connected digital video microscope cameras.Metallographic microscopes are used for a variety of applications such as semiconductor silicon wafer manufacturing, inspection and quality control, crystallography, analysis of sand castings in iron metal foundries, metallic grain microstructure analysis and identification, measurement of thin films, microscopic analysis of opaque surfaces, study of prehistoric stone age tools and artifacts, historical preservation, the study of metallurgy, and metal patina analysis. Material science and engineering laboratories doing research and development are involved in the inspection, analysis and testing of microstructure of materials. Common specimens for the materials science engineer to view are martensitic crystals in martinsite steel, austinite in austenitic steel, pearlite, carbon steel, heat treated, tempered and quenched steel, annealed steel, spring steel, ductile cast iron, phosphor bronze, alloy steel, malleable cast iron, die casting specimens, structural carbon steel, casting molds, case hardened steel, ceramics, carburizing metal, contaminants in metal, metal fatigue examples, tool steel, powder metallurgy samples, ferrous metal, titanium alloy, composites and composite fiber material, hardfacing samples, copper, samples for corrosion resistance and protection, thermoplastic specimens, tungsten, chromium, enamel coatings, stainless steel, extruded and stamped steel, refractory material, forged steel, pig iron, and aluminum castings.

Petrographic Microsocpe-
A petrographic microscope is used to observe a series of characteristics in a mineral which reflect its properties and allow us to identify it. The petrographic microscope is a compound microscope which can work with plane polarised light, meaning that it has some peculiarities. This is always done with transmitted plane polarised light, meaning that the polariser must be inserted. The type of illumination varies according to the feature to be studied, and may be orthoscopic, parallel, without the condenser or conoscopic, convergent, with the condenser incorporated.The size of minerals that allows for optical identification is not samaller than 0.010 mm. Identification of cryptocrystalline and amorpous materials can be achieved using submicroscopic techniques such as a scanning electron microscope.

Ore Microscope-
An ore microscope has the combined features of a metallurgical microscope’s epi-illumination with a polarizing microscope’s analyzer, polarizer, rotating stage, and Bertrand lens. Our ore microscopes are capable of both transmitted polarized light, light going through a rock or mineral thin section and reflected polarized light such as is needed with a thick polished rock or mineral piece. The main difference between a polarized light microscope and an ore microscope is the ore microscope has the added feature of reflected polarized light. Thus, thick opaque polished sections of ores in rocks and minerals can be examined under high power magnification using polarization. A normal polarizing microscope is only capable of viewing thin sections of specimen, thin enough for the light to be transmitted. A polarizing microscope is often called a petrographic microscope and uses transmitted light with thin sections. An ore microscope is sometimes called a mineralographic microscope and uses reflected light that is polarized. A metallurgical microscope is also capable of examining polished thick specimens or rocks or even metal. It may even have a simple plane polarization system. However, it generally will not have both a polarizer and an analyzer providing capability for cross polarized illumination, and will not have a Bertrand lens or a rotating microscope stage. Ore microscopes are often used by geologists for studying and identifying rocks and minerals. They can be used in mineralogy, petrology, and geology. Ore microscopy and mineralography are fields involving the viewing of opaque ore minerals in thin polished sections using reflected light illumination.