Use of Image Processing and Analysis in the Characterization of the Microstructural Morphology of Silicon Carbide Ceramics for Ballistic Armor Application.
ceramography, quantitative analysis, optical microscopy, advanced materials
This work investigates the use of digital image processing and analysis (DIP) in the characterization of the microstructural morphology of high-impact strength silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics. This work studies the images obtained from samples processed from two different types of SiC particulate raw materials and with different percentages of YAG sintering additive (mixture of 70% Al2O3 and 30% Y2O3). The specimens used to obtain the images were formed by uniaxial pressing (40 MPa) followed by isostatic pressing (300 MPa), aiming at greater homogeneity, and subsequently subjected to sintering at high temperatures (1950 °C). For microstructural characterization, the samples were polished with diamond pastes and chemically etched to reveal grain boundaries. Preliminary results showed difficulties in automatic grain segmentation, indicating the need for adjustments to the polishing and etching processes, as well as digital image processing. The use of (DIP) is expected to allow calculation of parameters such as grain size, shape, and distribution, comparing different methodologies and assessing the method's limitations and potential. The study aims to demonstrate that microstructural characterization through image processing is a promising tool for materials engineering, especially in the development of high-performance ceramics.