Chemistry through the lens

Now you can view the popular Chemistry through the lens image online, as well as in print.

'Surface Steps on a Stainless Steel Fibre.' An entry by Athina Markaki and T W Clyne in the 2007 Owlstone photography competition at the department of engineering, University of Cambridge, UK. This scanning electron micrograph shows a ferritic stainless steel fibre, after holding for several hours at 1250°C in a reducing atmosphere. The steps arise from preferential exposure of low energy planes, in the absence of a surface oxide. The Cr₂₃C₆ carbide particles, which are mostly located at grain boundaries, inhibit grain growth and influence the local topography of the step structure.