A metallurgical optical microscope is a type of examination equipment that is used to inspect metals on a cellular and granular level. In contrast to a conventional optical microscope that illuminates the specimen from the bottom, a metallurgical optical microscope illuminates the top of the specimen by frontal lighting via a tube.
Inspecting specimens with a metallurgical optical microscope is often a first step to prevent intergranular corrosion.
A metallurgical optical microscope operates with a glass reflector inside its tube, which reflects light from a light source. This improves the image quality through the use of frontal lightning and allows for better manipulation of the focal length and magnification.