Can anyone give me the recipe for Rucker's reagent? I saw an instance of it in a failure analysis case study that said it would outline temper embrittled grain boundaries in alloy steels. Has anyone used this successfully? Unfortunately, I can't find the recipe in the ASM Handbooks.
Sure.
The recipe is from George Vander Voort's book "Metallography: Principles and Practice, ASM International, 1999. See page 641 (Appendix I) and the text on pages 216-220
"Etch of Rucker for revealing temper embrittlement. Mix solutions a and b, shake solution, store in a tightly stoppered bottle for at least
12 h. Carefully pour off top layer and dilute with one-half volume ether. Etch 1-15 min. Grain boundaries not revealed in deembrittled steels.Solution a
6g picric acid 150 mL waterSolution b
10 mL zephiran chloride 300 mL purified ethyl ether"Obviously this should be done in a no smoking lab with very adequate ventilation. Do not try this at home! Revealing boundaries that aren't really there anymore is excellent "applied magic".
Pittsburgh Pete
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