Materials microhardness “finger prints”

A new microstructural analysis tool based on microhardness measurements has been developed and presented. This technique is capable of uniquely describing materials in terms of microhardness density distribution (finger prints of the material). Using Fe, Cr and Ni based cast alloys with a varying content of Nb, Si, Ti and Al, it has been shown that high quality (in the sense of correlations and accuracy) quantitative relationships between chemical composition and microstructural properties (as determined by the analysis) can be achieved. Furthermore, relationships between microstructure, chemical composition and selected mechanical properties are determined. It appears the microhardness analysis presented offers a relatively simple method for accomplishing the complex task of predicting mechanical properties of materials based on chemical composition.