ABSTRACT
Materials characterization is a pivotal process in which a material's chemical, microstructure and physical properties are canvassed, quantified, and examined using a variety of analytical approaches, techniques, and tools. The spectrum of material characterization has a vast number of capabilities and techniques that include imaging & microanalysis, and surface, structural, organic, elemental, thermal and, mechanical analysis. The advancement in material research is the development of methods and characterization of complex materials to perform extensive forensic studies and provide solutions. Moreover, the chapter presents expertise that can trace aberrations and establish novel approaches when conventional techniques do not provide resolutions that are fundamental to unravelling some of the world's inflexible problems. Undoubtedly, it is important to note that statistical methods for materials characterization and qualification are crucial to deduce data variables from inspection/testing of random samples. For example, the development and qualification of advanced gas reactor fuel programs require statistical acceptance tests. The statistical results require unambiguous interpretation methods to administer necessary measures of quality for a variety of materials.
