3D visualization and quantification of bowing marble microstructure

Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) is a method for the three-dimensional visualization of the structure of various types of materials, and can be applied in all cases where the investigated material has sufficient transparency. It is widely used in medicine and biology to determine the characteristics of cells and molecules. In the case of opaque materials such as stone, CLSM can be used with relative ease to visualize directly the 3D microstructure of the stone, by filling the voids with fluorescent-dyed resin. This method represents an important improvement over the conventional method, which consists of the application of stereological tools to predict, from 2D images, the main 3D characteristics of the microstructure of stone samples, for example their porosity. This paper is concerned with qualitative and quantitative characterization of the microstructure of bowing marble by means of CLSM microscopy, using an innovative technique of sample preparation and an upgraded macro for conventional image analysis (IA) software.