Image Processing using Open Source Tools and their Implementation in the Analysis of Complex Microstructures

Considering the dependance of materials’ properties on the microstructure, it is imperative to carry out a thorough microstructural characterization and analysis to bolster its development. This article is aimed to inform the users about the implementation of FIJI, an open source image processing software for image segmentation and quantitative microstructural analysis. The rapid advancement of computer technology in the past years has made it possible to swiftly segment and analyze hundreds of micrographs reducing hours’ worth of analysis time to a mere matter of minutes. This has led to the availability of several commercial image processing software programs primarily aimed at relatively inexperienced users. Despite the advantages like ‘one-click solutions’ offered by commercial software, the high licensing cost limits its widespread use in the metallographic community. Open-source platforms on the other hand, are free and easily available although rudimentary knowledge of the user-interface is a pre-requisite. In particular, the software FIJI has distinguished itself as a versatile tool, since it provides suitable extensions from image processing to segmentation to quantitative stereology and is continuously developed by a large user community. This article aims to introduce the FIJI program by familiarizing the user with its graphical user-interface and providing a sequential methodology to carry out image segmentation and quantitative microstructural analysis.