ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some common and lesser-known tools for wear surface characterization and some of the related techniques with particular utility for wear mode diagnosis. Since the mid-1900s, when it was introduced and then spread quickly into the research community, electron microscopy—particularly, scanning electron microscopy—has become an almost routine tool for wear diagnosis. There are two complementary methods of wear surface examination: normal surface viewing and cross-sectional viewing. The mounting of large worn specimens can be a challenge for microscopic examination. For some large components, it may be necessary to bring the microscope to the specimen instead of the opposite. Cross-sectioning of worn surfaces provides valuable information on the depth of damage and type of wear. The two basic modes of light optical microscopy are based on the direction of specimen illumination and degree of transparency. Transmitted light is commonly used mainly for biological specimens, for examining thin petro-sections in mineralogy, or for studying transparent materials in general.
