Patent ID: 8347745

Claim:
A method of counting and analyzing inclusions in an alloy by image analysis, the method comprising: a) preparing a sample of the alloy; b) determining inclusion detection thresholds by observation, with magnification, of at least one field of the sample; c) detecting inclusions of the sample as a function of the threshold defined in the determining b), and counting the inclusions; d) acquiring images of each of the inclusions detected in the detecting c) and determining a size of each of the inclusions; e) determining the chemical composition of each of the detected inclusions by chemically analyzing each of the detected inclusions; and f) making a map of the sample from the images acquired in the acquiring d), the map showing spatial distribution of the inclusions, in which each of the detected inclusions is represented by a graphics element, a size of the graphics element being proportional to the size of the inclusion, and a color of the graphics element being correlated to the chemical composition of the inclusion.