Overview: During recent years, people involved in developing new metals and materials for use in some of the rather extreme conditions of stress, temperature, and environment have relied heavily on the microstructural condition of their materials. In fact, many of the newer materials, such as dispersion-strengthened alloys, have been designed almost entirely by first determining the microstruc ture desired and then finding the right combination of composition, heat treatment, and mechanical working that will result in the de sired microstructure. Furthermore, the extremely high reliability r
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