ASTM E562-05

Standard Test Method for Determining Volume Fraction by Systematic Manual Point Count

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This test method is based upon the stereological principle that a grid with a number of regularly arrayed points, when systematically placed over an image of a two-dimensional section through the microstructure, can provide, after a representative number of placements on different fields, an unbiased statistical estimation of the volume fraction of an identifiable constituent or phase (1, 2, 3).3  
This test method has been described  (4) as being superior to other manual methods with regard to effort, bias, and simplicity.
Any number of clearly distinguishable constituents or phases within a microstructure (or macrostructure) can be counted using the method. Thus, the method can be applied to any type of solid material from which adequate two-dimensional sections can be prepared and observed.  
A condensed step-by-step guide for using the method is given in Annex A1.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method describes a systematic manual point counting procedure for statistically estimating the volume fraction of an identifiable constituent or phase from sections through the microstructure by means of a point grid.
1.2 The use of automatic image analysis to determine the volume fraction of constituents is described in Practice E 1245.
This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 31-Oct-2005
• ICS: 77.040.99 - Other methods of testing of metals
• Technical Committee: E04 - Metallography
• Drafting Committee: E04.14 - Quantitative Metallography

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E562-02 - Standard Test Method for Determining Volume Fraction by Systematic Manual Point Count
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Replaced By: ASTM E562-05e1 - Standard Test Method for Determining Volume Fraction by Systematic Manual Point Count
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM A565/A565M-10(2017)e1 - Standard Specification for Martensitic Stainless Steel Bars for High-Temperature Service
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM A1021/A1021M-20 - Standard Specification for Martensitic Stainless Steel Forgings and Forging Stock for High-Temperature Service
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM E112-13(2021) - Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM E1181-02(2023) - Standard Test Methods for Characterizing Duplex Grain Sizes
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM A800/A800M-20 - Standard Practice for Estimating Ferrite Content of Stainless Steel Castings Containing Both Ferrite and Austenite
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM E2109-01(2021) - Standard Test Methods for Determining Area Percentage Porosity in Thermal Sprayed Coatings
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM E1382-97(2023) - Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size Using Semiautomatic and Automatic Image Analysis
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM D4616-95(2018) - Standard Test Method for Microscopical Analysis by Reflected Light and Determination of Mesophase in a Pitch
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM A874/A874M-98(2022) - Standard Specification for Ferritic Ductile Iron Castings Suitable for Low-Temperature Service
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM B848/B848M-21 - Standard Specification for Powder Forged (PF) Ferrous Materials
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM A995/A995M-20 - Standard Specification for Castings, Austenitic-Ferritic (Duplex) Stainless Steel, for Pressure-Containing Parts
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM D2799-23 - Standard Test Method for Microscopical Determination of the Maceral Composition of Coal
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005
• Referred By: ASTM E1268-19 - Standard Practice for Assessing the Degree of Banding or Orientation of Microstructures
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2005

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
e1
Designation: E 562 – 05
Standard Test Method for
Determining Volume Fraction by Systematic Manual Point
1
Count
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 562; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1
e NOTE—Equation 3 and A1.11 were editorially revised in January 2008.
INTRODUCTION
This test method may be used to determine the volume fraction of constituents in an opaque
specimen using a polished, planar cross section by the manual point count procedure.
1. Scope 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 point count—the total number of points in a test grid
1.1 This test method describes a systematic manual point
that fall within the microstructural feature of interest, or on the
counting procedure for statistically estimating the volume
feature boundary; for the latter, each test point on the boundary
fraction of an identifiable constituent or phase from sections
is one half a point.
through the microstructure by means of a point grid.
3.2.2 point fraction—the ratio, usually expressed as a per-
1.2 The use of automatic image analysis to determine the
centage, of the point count of the phase or constituent of
volumefractionofconstituentsisdescribedinPracticeE 1245.
interest on the two-dimensional image of an opaque specimen
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
to the number of grid points, which is averaged over n fields to
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
produce an unbiased estimate of the volume fraction of the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
phase or constituent.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
3.2.3 stereology—themethodsdevelopedtoobtaininforma-
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
tion about the three-dimensional characteristics of microstruc-
2. Referenced Documents
tures based upon measurements made on two-dimensional
2
sections through a solid material or their projection on a
2.1 ASTM Standards:
surface.
E3 Guide for Preparation of Metallographic Specimens
3.2.4 test grid—a transparent sheet or eyepiece reticle with
E7 Terminology Relating to Metallography
a regular pattern of lines or crosses that is superimposed over
E 407 Practice for Microetching Metals and Alloys
the microstructural image for counting microstructural features
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
of interest.
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
3.2.5 volume fraction—the total volume of a phase or
E 1245 Practice for Determining the Inclusion or Second
constituent per unit volume of specimen, generally expressed
Phase Constituent Content of Metals by Automatic Image
as a percentage.
Analysis
3.3 Symbols:
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this prac-
P = total number of points in the test grid.
T
tice, see TerminologyE7. th
P = point count on the i field.
i
P
P (i) =
i
P
3 100 = percentage of grid points, in the
P
1 T
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E04 on
th
constituent observed on the i field.
Metallography and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E04.14 on Quanti-
n = number of fields counted.
tative Metallography.
n
¯
1
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2005. Published December 2005. Originally P =
p
P ~i! = arithmetic average of P (i).
approved in 1976. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as E 562 – 02. ( p p
n
i 5 1
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or s = estimate of the standard deviation (s) (see (Eq
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
3) in Section 10).
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
e1
E562–05
TABLE 1 95 % Confidence Interval Multipliers
95 % CI = 95 % confidence interval
No. of Fields n t No. of Fields n t
= 6ts/ n (see Note 1).
=
t = a multiplier related to the number of fields 5 2.776 19 2.101
6 2.571 20 2.093
examined and used in conjunction with the
7 2.447 21 2.086
standard deviation of the measurements to de-
8 2.365 22 2.080
termine the 95% CI. 9 2.306 23 2.074
10 2.262 24 2.069
V = volume fraction of the constituent or phase
V
11 2.228 25 2.064
expressed as a percentage (see (Eq 5) in Section
12 2.201 26 2.060
10). 13 2.179 27 2.056
14 2.160 28 2.052
% RA = % relative accuracy, a measure of the statistical
15 2.145 29 2.048
¯
precision = (95 % CI/ P )
...

This document is not anASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of anASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation:E562–02 Designation: E 562 – 05
Standard Test Method for
Determining Volume Fraction by Systematic Manual Point
1
Count
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 562; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
This test method may be used to determine the volume fraction of constituents in an opaque
specimen using a polished, planar cross section by the manual point count procedure.
1. Scope
1.1 This test method describes a systematic manual point counting procedure for statistically estimating the volume fraction of
an identifiable constituent or phase from sections through the microstructure by means of a point grid.
1.2 The use of automatic image analysis to determine the volume fraction of constituents is described in Practice E 1245.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
E 3 Guide for Preparation of Metallographic Specimens
E 7 Terminology Relating to Metallography
E 407 Practice for Microetching Metals and Alloys
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
E 1245 Practice for Determining the Inclusion or Second Phase Constituent Content of Metals by Automatic Image Analysis
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of terms used in this practice, see Terminology E 7.
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 point count—the total number of points in a test grid that fall within the microstructural feature of interest, or on the
feature boundary; for the latter, each test point on the boundary is one half a point.
3.2.2 point fraction—the ratio, usually expressed as a percentage, of the point count of the phase or constituent of interest on
the two-dimensional image of an opaque specimen to the number of grid points, which is averaged over n fields to produce an
unbiased estimate of the volume fraction of the phase or constituent.
3.2.3 stereology—the methods developed to obtain information about the three-dimensional characteristics of microstructures
based upon measurements made on two-dimensional sections through a solid material or their projection on a surface.
3.2.4 test grid—a transparent sheet or eyepiece reticle with a regular pattern of lines or crosses that is superimposed over the
microstructural image for counting microstructural features of interest.
3.2.5 volume fraction—the total volume of a phase or constituent per unit volume of specimen, generally expressed as a
percentage.
3.3 Symbols:
1
ThispracticeisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeE04onMetallographyandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeE04.14onQuantitativeMetallography.
Current edition approved April 10, 2002. Published June 10, 2002. Originally published as E562–76. Last previous edition E562–01.
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E04 on Metallography and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E04.14 on Quantitative
Metallography.
Current edition approved Nov. 1, 2005. Published December 2005. Originally approved in 1976. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as E 562 – 02.
2
For referencedASTM standards, visit theASTM website, www.astm.org, or contactASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
, Vol 03.01.volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
E562–05
P = total number of points in the test grid.
T
th
P = point count on the i field.
i
P
P (i) = i
th
P
3 100 = percentage of grid points, in the constituent observed on the i field.
P
T
n = number of fields counted.
n
¯
P = 1
p
P ~i! = arithmetic average of P (i).
(
p p
n
i 5 1
s = estimate of the standard deviation (s) (see (Eq 3) in Section 10).
95 % CI = 95 % confidence interval
= 6ts/ n (see Note 1).
=
t = a multiplier related to the number of fields examined and used in conjunction with the standard deviation o
...