This International Standard specifies techniques of surface examination in which a transparent nitrocellulose varnish, or plastic material, with or without supports, is used to record inhomogeneities, both mechanical and metallurgical, in the condition of a metal surface.
The techniques specified in this International Standard have the advantage of being suitable for some locations where access is restricted. In addition, the replicas can be inspected on site with low-power optical aids or they may be transferred to a laboratory and examined under a powerful metallurgical microscope.