Metal Glossary

Designed to be a quick reference guide for customers, the Cashmores glossary provides definitions of the latest metal industry terms.

Metal Glossary

Designed to be a quick reference guide for customers, the Cashmores glossary provides definitions of the latest metal industry terms.
  • Gauge Length
    In a tensile test this is the prescribed part of the cylindrical or prismatic portion of the test piece on which elongation is measured at any moment during the test. In particular, a distinction should be made between the following: ~ The original gauge length, i.e. the gauge length before the test is started. ~ The final gauge length – The gauge length after the test is completed and the test piece has fractured. The broken pieces are carefully fitted together to lie in a straight line so that it can be measured.
  • Grain Flow
    Elongation of the grain structure in the direction of cold working.
  • Grain Growth
    Coarsening of the grain structure that occurs under certain conditions of heating. It is generally undesirable and is deleterious.
  • Grain Size
    A measure of the area or volume of grains in polycrystalline material. Grain size is reported in a number of ways:
    1. number of grains per unit of area or volume,
    2. average diameter,
    3. as a grain size number derived from area measurements and comparison with a standard chart.