Interface Characterization Using the Automated-EBSP Technique

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe use of the electron back scattering pattern (EBSP) technique of electron diffraction (also referred to as EBSD and BKD) to study microstructure continues to gain popularity in the materials characterization community. The technique's ability to rapidly measure lattice orientation with good relative accuracy provides a statistically powerful tool for investigating the misorientation character of interfaces. It is certainly possible to gather basic misorientation data on thousands of interfaces in only a couple of hours. This invited talk will discuss the detection and characterization of interfaces in polycrystalline materials using the automated-EBSP technique with specific discussion of sub-grain and twin boundaries in deformed and/or annealed materials. This paper will also attempt to demonstrate with data from γγ' Ni-base superalloys that the process of acquiring, with high accuracy, all the spatial, orientation, and chemical information associated with boundaries during an extended data acquisition is a substantial experimental challenge. Combining quantitative image analysis of traditional high-resolution scanning electron micrographs with the EBSP data can help correct some of the distortions commonly encountered in EBSP data.