Investigate crystalline and amorphous architectures that deliver hardness, thermal stability, and optical behavior. Images highlight sintering necks, porosity evolution, toughening bridges, and crack paths across grains. Polarized-light views expose birefringence and residual stress, while SEM reveals fracture surfaces and densification. We relate processing variables—powder size, green density, firing schedule—to defect control and reliability. Coverage spans technical ceramics, glass-ceramics, and optical glass with attention to microstructural fingerprints that predict performance.
Meta: Ceramics and glass under the microscope. Sintering, porosity, crack paths, and birefringence tied to processing and reliability.