A new EBSD based methodology for the quantitative characterisation of microstructures formed by displacive fcc–bcc transformations

Abstract

This work is concerned with a new methodology that can be used to quantify the degree to which grains in the microstructure are aligned in the form of packets. The methodology is based on a crystallographic definition of the term packet which is used to deduce the theoretically ideal misorientations of intra-packet grain boundaries. A misorientation distribution obtained from extensive EBSD mapping can thus be split into intra- and inter-packet misorientations and the corresponding fractions can be determined by integration. The theoretical framework of the methodology is explained and a step-by-step description of the procedure is given. Results from a trace analysis are provided to justify the assumptions made regarding habit plane and examples are included showing how the grain boundary network can be split into two separate parts, one for lath boundaries and the other for packet boundaries. Moreover, example weld metal microstructures along with the corresponding misorientation distributions as well as quantitative values of the microstructures are presented.