Comparative Analysis on the Requirements of Metallographic Examination Item of Several Typical Steel Products in National Standard, ASTM Standard and JIS Standard

Taking carbon structural steel, alloy structural steel, bearing steel, spring steel and cold working die steel as examples, the requirements of metallographic examination item in national standard, American ASTM standard and Japanese JIS standard were compared and analyzed. The results show that the national standard has the most requirements for metallographic examination item; ASTM standard has less requirements for metallographic examination item, but it is targeted. The requirements of JIS standard for metallographic examination item are flexible, which are mainly stipulated by the agreement between the buyer and the manufacturer. Compared with the metallographic examination item for corresponding steel grades in foreign standards, the stereological method is adopted to analyze the reasonable and effective of metallographic examination item. It can be found that the provisions in domestic steel standards have lagged behind the technical progress of steel production equipment and process, and need to be modified according to foreign standards.