Search

The following article looks at using scanning electron microscopy- electron back scatter diffraction techniques to study recrystallisation structures produced through hot rolling of 436 ferritic stainless steel. Characterisation of recrystallisation textures was undertaken through analysis of misorientation angle distribution diagrams, orientation distribution function maps, inverse pole figures and Taylor factor maps. These techniques were applied in a case study where typical industrial hot rolling conditions were simulated through uniaxial compression tests in a Bähr Dilatometer 850D, whereby the effect of strain rate and interpass time on recrystallisation structures was investigated.

Uniaxial tension experiments and electron back-scatter diffraction were performed on a bimodal Ti-6Al-4V alloy to study the deformation behavior of primary hcp-Ti (αp). It was found that the obtained tensile strength and elongation of the studied Ti-6Al-4V from the in-situ tensile test are higher than of which derived from the regular tensile test. The strain could be accommodated by the activation of slip systems and by grain rotations during the deformation. The prismatic slip is the primary slip mode of αp. According to kernel average misorientation analysis, we found that the dislocations mainly distributed near grain boundaries and subgrain boundaries, and partially located around slip lines. Calculated rotation angles and average rotation rates show that the rotation heterogeneity occurred among grains and subgrains.

This study presents the investigation of TiB distribution characteristics on the microstructure of in-situ synthesized TiB/Ti6Al4V single-track composites manufacture with laser metal deposition. Ti6Al4V alloy was reinforced by adding TiB2 ceramic at mass volumes of 0%, 1% and 2% for microstructure modification and mechanical properties enhancement. The TiB/Ti6Al4V composite was characterized using optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and microhardness. It was found that the addition of TiB2 resulted in the transformation of the prior β-grain into two types of morphologies of dendritic and columnar microstructures. Furthermore, the increase in the amount of TiB2 resulted in the reduction of the volume fraction of β-Ti phase, with the in situ formed TiB replacing and occupying the β-Ti positions. Deposition at 2% promoted the formation of unmelted TiB2 particles which promoted hardness increase to 496 ± 17 HV.

In this study, we present an in-depth analysis of the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast materials, employing advanced characterization techniques. The research focuses on the utilization of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) for microstructural analysis, alongside nanoindentation and tensile testing for mechanical property evaluation. The materials under investigation include a variety of industrially relevant cast alloys, providing a comprehensive understanding of their behavior under different casting conditions. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between the microstructural features, such as grain size, phase distribution, and defect morphology, and the mechanical properties, including hardness, yield strength, and ductility. The study also highlights the influence of casting parameters on these properties, offering insights for optimizing casting processes. The results of this research not only contribute to the existing body of knowledge on cast materials but also pave the way for the development of advanced materials with tailored properties for specific applications. This work underscores the importance of integrated microstructural and mechanical characterization in understanding and predicting the performance of cast materials, thereby aiding in their effective utilization in various industrial sectors.

The electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) characterization of irradiated Al-B shows that there is a high concentration defect region around the borides. Nanoscale speckle particles were successfully prepared on the surface of Al-B before and after irradiation, and then the mesoscale strain during in-situ deformation was obtained by digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The results shows that slip band bypass such an area through cross slips with slip band deflection. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates that abundant helium bubbles exist in the deflected slip band area pinning the dislocations.

This study investigated the texture formation process of A6063 alloy hot extruded material using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements. The cube component that becomes the main orientation during hot extrusion was formed near the bearing inflow in the extrusion chamber and grew with continuous recrystallization. The Goss component with the same ED // relationship as the cube component was not formed in the chamber or the bearing but was formed by discontinuous recrystallization after passing through the bearing. The TD // orientation component of the surface layer was formed in the bearing and then grew with discontinuous recrystallization. However, because the internal cube and Goss components expanded preferentially, the surface layer TD // components were replaced by the cube and Goss components after passing through the bearing. The cubic texture formation of extruded aluminium alloys is noted to be analogous to the formation of rolling sheet materials, formed by recovery and recrystallization from a plane strain deformation structure. However, for the A6063 alloy extruded under conditions close to industrial production, the cube components were mainly formed by recovery and continuous recrystallization.

Additive manufacturing has been around for many years, yet the underlying physics of thermal gradients, local pressure environment, and other non-steady state manufacturing conditions are not fully understood. A Multi-University Research Initiative (MURI) is currently ongoing to measure liquid/solid and solid/solid interface stabilities in AM Ti-6Al-4V. Samples were produced with different beamscanning strategies in order to study the role of thermal gradients on the resulting microstructure. The motivation is to determine which beam-scanning strategy leads to desired grain size and texture. Orientation at different length scales (from mm to nm) can be quantified and compared with a combination of techniques including Precession Electron Diffraction (PED), Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) and Neutron diffraction. This new information will help predict properties of additively manufactured parts.

In this study, we have investigated the effect of oxygen contents on strain rate senstivitiy (SRS) within Gr. 1 and 4 commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti). The SRS was evaluated in multi-scales using macro-scopic tensile test with constant strain rate (CSR) method and strain rate jump (SRJ) method, and nanoindentation test with SRJ method. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) has been used to characterise crystallographic texture and individual grain orientation of samples. Slip and twin activities of each CP-Ti were compared by EBSD measurements and the associated Schmid factor (SF) analysis. The active slip system is anticipated to be different in each relation between loading directions and textures, but twin activity is much similar. The texture dependent global SRS is thus thought to be resulted from the different slip activity. Local SRS was dependent not only on the grain orientation but also on the oxygen contents, leading to the fact that the impact of oxygen contents is closely correlated in macro- and micro-scopic level.

In this study, we investigated the effects of strain rate on tensile deformation behaviour in Ti-6Al-4V sheet at cryogenic temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to identify the crystallographic orientation of rolled Ti-6Al-4V. A series of tensile tests were performed by constant strain rate method (CRS) with variable strain rates (i.e., on the order of 1x10-2 to 10-4•s-1). Liquid nitrogen (LN2) was used to mimic cryogenic environment, and for the thermal equilibrium the specimens were immersed in the vessel containing liquid nitrogen for ~10 minutes before tensile testing, and the temperature condition was continuously maintained during the testing. Microstructure and fracture surface was analysed by polarised light microscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was further used to characterise local deformation behaviour. Deformation twinning is occurred at cryogenic tempearture, which is rather different to the deformation at room temperature. It is thought that the twinning induced deformation behaviour may lead to a strength enhancement and a rate dependent ductility improvement. Key words: Ti-6Al-4V, cryogenic, microstructure, deformation twinning, EBSD

To clarify the hot deformation characteristics of Ti alloys, flow behaviour, micro structural evolution and deformation mechanisms were investigated in a Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo alloy with two initial micro structure: an ultra-fine grained (UFG) and a fine-grained (FG) microstructure (dα=0,8 µm and dα=3 µm respectively) by isothermal interrupted tensile tests, SEM observations and through electron back scatter diffraction experiments. Depending on the test conditions and on the initial α grain size, the flow behaviour can exhibit steady state flow and/or hardening and/or softening. The microstructure and texture evolutions have been studied mainly by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique and SEM observations. They evidenced in particular the occurrence of α grains growth as well as dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The different flow behaviour associated to the microstructure evolution is shown and discussed to clarify the main deformation mode that could be assume to occur depending on the microstructure, the temperature and the strain rate.

Fine-tuning of stress-induced martensitic (SIM) transformation was studied in Ti-Mo based β metastable alloys, showing combined Transformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) and Twinning Induced Plasticity effects (TWIP) effects. The work aimed to clarify the transition and interaction between the two deformation mechanisms and their influences on the mechanical properties of Ti-Mo based alloys. Electron parameter design methods (Bo-Md and e/a ratio) were cross-used to increase the β phase stability from near-TRIP to near-TWIP by adding third alloying elements. SIM α″ transformation and mechanical twinning were traced by in-situ EBSD (Electron backscatter diffraction) mapping under cyclic tension. The deformation modes of β phase exhibited significant changes when shifting its metastability via chemical composition modifications. In near-TRIP conditions (dominated by the growth of SIM α″ in plastic regime), SIM α″ transformation and internal twinning of martensite were the main mechanisms to accommodate the local stress-strain conditions. In near-TWIP ones (dominated by the growth of {332}β twinning in plastic regime), SIM α″ was observed only at twinning interface during strain process and disappeared after stress release.

For titanium alloys, crack initiation as a result of plastic strain accumulation has been shown to govern fatigue life under the high cycle fatigue regime. In this study, the early plastic slip activity and fatigue crack initiation was studied using a cyclic four point bending test at 10 Hz with a load ratio of 0.1, up to 90% of the proof stress. The plastic slip in the high stress area was monitored by interrupting the test and performing optical microscopy. Following fatigue crack initiation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to identify the slip and crack initiation mode in a 600 x 600 μm2 area. Using slip trace analysis, it was shown that primary alpha grains offered dominant plastic deformation with basal slip activation. Cracking along basal planes was determined to be the dominant damage mode.

Dual phase titanium alloys, such as Ti-6242, experience a significant reduction in fatigue lifetime when the peak load is held at each cycle. This type of sustained peak loading, also known as dwell fatigue, mimics the long periods of high mean stress experienced by titanium fan and compressor components during takeoff and cruise. The reduction in fatigue lifetime is known as the dwell debit, and is attributed to the phenomenon of load shedding. Both local microstructure and temperature are known to impact load shedding and thereby the macroscopic response of Ti-6242 when subject to dwell fatigue, but the underlying mechanisms are still under active investigation. This study utilized electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and digital image correlation (DIC) to characterize the role of local microstructure and temperature on load shedding during dwell fatigue. EBSD was used to determine local orientation and texture information, and DIC provided information about the heterogeneity of the strain distribution and plastic strain accumulation. Ex-situ tests were performed to investigate the link between the deformation of local microstructures and macroscopic damage. The resultant strain fields and orientation maps were statistically analyzed to provide quantitative insights into the impact of local microstructure on load shedding during dwell fatigue.

A key design consideration for material selection in the aerospace industry is weight reduction; with excellent strength to weight ratio, high temperature resistance, and fatigue performance, titanium alloys are extensively used. New titanium alloys continue to enhance performance and broaden the range of applications. Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET) recently developed TIMETAL® 575 (Ti575), a high strength titanium alloy with superior fatigue performance over Ti-6Al-4V, aimed at aerospace applications where these properties are imperative i.e. aerospace turbine discs and blades. [1] [2] This work intends to advance the understanding of the effect of thermal processing of Ti575, by investigating the effect of primary alpha (αp) volume fraction and cooling rate on tensile and fatigue performance in post forged heat-treated microstructures. Microstructural assessment and mechanical performance were completed and are discussed. Three cooling methods from three solution heat-treat temperatures were investigated in this work. The results from these experiments were compared using optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), room temperature tensile and high cycle fatigue (HCF) tests.

Effect of strain rate on α-lath thickness of TC17 alloy with a basketweave microstructure was studied in the present work. For this purpose, this alloy was deformed in the β phase region and subsequently soluted and aged in α+β phase region. Moreover, optical micrograph (OM) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) were applied to analyze the change of lath thickness at different strain rates. The result showed that α-lath thickness increased with increasing strain rate. This phenomenon was possibly attributed to the higher degree of variant selection (DVS) at higher strain rate (0.1 s-1). The higher DVS was beneficial for the formation of parallel α-lath colonies during cooling after deformation. And, these parallel α-lath colonies would more easily grow up and coarsen during subsequent heat treatment. Therefore, α-lath at higher strain rate is more thick.

Carefully performed experiments with long cracks in the near-threshold regime have shown that the crack tip field of these cracks significantly deviate from the expected mode-I butterfly-shaped ones and resemble strongly to mixed-mode crack tip fields. A simulation study using a crystal plasticity (CP) approach has been utilized in order to understand this phenomenon. To this end, a digital twin of an aluminum sample fatigued in the near-threshold regime was generated with the help of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray tomography. Once set-up, the digital twin was loaded in uniaxial tension using the fast spectral solver implemented in the Düsseldorf Advanced Material Simulation Kit (DAMASK). The versatility of this experimental-computational approach for studying the strain partitioning at the crack tip is demonstrated in this work.

The effects on sample size on abnormal grain growth in inexpensive FeMnAlNi shape memory alloy (SMAs) wires and rod were investigated. It was shown that repeated heat treatments between single phase (bcc) and two phase (bcc + fcc) region resulted in abnormal grains with bamboo structure both in small sized wires and large diameter rods. Microstructural features were investigated using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and it was found that 0.5 mm wires possess strong [011] texture whereas, large diameter rods have random texture after grain growth heat treatments.

Short fatigue cracks, having dimension less than 1 mm, propagate at much faster rates (da/dN) even at lower stress intensity factor range (da/dN) as compared to the threshold stress intensity factor range obtained from long fatigue crack growth studies. These short cracks originate at the sub-grain level and some of them ultimately transit into critical long cracks over time. Therefore, designing the components subjected to fatigue loading merely on the long crack growth data and neglecting the short crack growth behavior can overestimate the component’s life. This aspect of short fatigue cracks become even more critical for materials used for safety critical applications such as reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steel in nuclear plants. In this work, the transition behaviour of short fatigue crack gowth into long fatigue crack is studied in SA508 Grade 3 Class I low alloy steel used in RPVs. In-situ characterization of initiation, propagation and transition of short fatigue cracks is performed using fatigue stage for Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in addition to digital microscopes fitted over a servo-hydraulic fatigue machine and correlated with the microtructural information obtained using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). SA508 steel having an upper bainitic microstructure have several microstructural interfaces such as phase and grain boundaries that play a significant role in controlling the short fatigue crack propagation. Specially designed and prepared short fatigue specimens (eletro-polished) with varying initial crack lengths of the order of tens of microns are used in this study. The transition of such short initial cracks into long cracks is then tracked to give detailed insight into the role of each phase and phase/grain boundary with an objective of establishing Kitagawa-Takahashi diagram for the given RPV steel. The behavior of the transited long cracks is then compared with the crack propagation behavior obtained using conventional CT specimens. The outcome of this research will enhance information on the integrity of the components made from RPV steel used in Indian nuclear power plants.

In this work, the effect of surface mechanical attrition treatment (SMAT) on the cyclic behaviour of a 316L stainless steel under low cycle fatigue (LCF) is investigated. The LCF results are presented in the form of cyclic stress amplitude evolution for both untreated and SMATed samples. In order to better understand the microstructure change due to cyclic loading, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is used to characterize the microstructure of the SMATed samples before and after fatigue tests. A microstructure gradient is highlighted for samples after SMAT from the top surface layer in nanocrystalline grains to the interior region non-affected by impacts. Under LCF loading, new slip systems are activated in the work hardened region, whereas no plastic slip is activated in the nanostructured layer. The residual stresses generated by SMAT are measured using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and their relaxations under cyclic loading are studied by taking into account the microstructure change. The cyclic behaviour of the samples in different material states is interpreted based on these investigations.

In the production of semi-finished products for the production of microcomponents and the components themselves, the characterization of their physical properties is of particular importance. Due to the often oligocrystalline character of these semi-finished products and components, it is necessary to use a suitable testing technique for static and dynamic investigations, as the mechanical properties are not transferable from the macroscopic point of view. In addition, the micro semi-finished products and components often show inhomogeneities induced by the manufacturing process. On the one hand, these are directly reflected in the microstructure and on the other hand they have an effect on quantities such as hardness or residual stresses, which play a decisive role in the application. Mechanical testing, conventional metallography, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), ultra-microhardness testing and X-ray residual stress analysis were used as measuring and analysis techniques suitable for the sub-millimeter range. In the following, the possibilities and limitations of two these methods are illustrated using the example of mechanical testing and EBSD. In this paper several examples for possible characterization techniques are given.

The combined effects of corrosion and fatigue are known to be hazardous threats to structural integrity of aluminium alloys that are being extensively used in marine applications. This work investigated the fatigue crack initiation and growth behaviour of AA6061-T6 alloys in 3.5 wt% NaCl simulated seawater using scanning electron microscope and electron backscatter diffraction characterisation techniques. It was found that the fatigue resistance of AA6061-T6 is drastically downgraded when subjected to the corrosive environment of 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. High stress concentration at both sides of a pit mouth in conjunction with attacked grain boundaries facilitates fatigue crack nucleation, while the presence of hydrogen formed by corrosion reactions causes crack tip embrittlement and thus increases crack growth rate. Fractographic analysis reveals that there is a change in fatigue crack growth mechanism of AA6061-T6 alloys tested in the NaCl solution. At short crack length, the crack develops transgranularly along crystallographic planes due to hydrogen-enhanced decohesion process. Further crack growth is dominated by adsorption induced dislocation emission process, resulting in the mixed mode of intergranular and transgranular crack growth.

Fully reversed torsional fatigue tests were conducted to elucidate the behaviour of shear-mode crack initiation and propagation in one martensitic and two bainitic steels. The relationship between the crack initiation site and microstructure was investigated by means of an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. From the S-N diagram, two notable results were obtained: (i) the shear-mode crack was initiated on the prior austenitic grain boundary in martensitic steel, while in bainitic steels, the crack was initiated along the {110} plane; one of the slip planes of bcc metals, and (ii) the torsional fatigue limit of lower bainitic steel with finer grains was 60 MPa higher than that of upper bainitic steel with coarser grains even though the hardnesses were nearly equivalent. The mechanism determining the torsional fatigue strength in these steels is discussed from the viewpoint of microstructure morphology.

Low cycle fatigue (LCF) behaviour of metastable austenitic 301LN stainless steel with different grain sizes – coarse-grained (13 μm), fine-grained (1.4 μm) and ultrafine-grained (0.6 μm) – produced by reversion annealing after prior cold rolling was investigated. Fully symmetrical LCF tests with constant total strain amplitudes of 0.5% and 0.6% were performed at room temperature with a low constant strain rate of 2×10-3 s-1. Microstructural changes in different positions within the gauge part of the specimens were examined by optical microscopy (polarized light) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique; for quantitative assessment of the volume fraction of deformation induced martensite (DIM) a Feritscope FMP 30 was adopted. The cyclic stress-strain response and specific changes of hysteresis loop shapes in the very early stage of cycling are confronted with the character of DIM formation and its distribution in the whole volume of the material. A possible effect of strain rate (frequency of cycling) on the destabilization of austenitic structure during cyclic straining of materials with different grain sizes is highlighted.

Copyright of Reflets de la Physique is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Micro-texture evolvement mechanism of AZ31 magnesium alloy during compressing deformation had been studied in situ tracking method by EBSD(Electron backscatter diffraction). The micro-texture at same observation areas, which compressed three times continually at different deformation degree, had been investigated. The results presented that the micro-texture of AZ31 magnesium alloy rolling state is typical (0001) basic texture. When deformation degree was 11% and the temperature was 170ଌ, grains orientation changed remarkably, and most grains had been twined fully and little grains twined partially. The initial basical rolling texture weakened gradually, and twined grains tropism accorded with $ \lt 10\bar 10 \gt $ and 86.3° $ \lt \bar 12\bar 10 \gt $ orientation.

In this contribution micro machining induced changes in surface morphology, including phase transformation from fcc-austenite into hcp- and bcc-martensite as well as defined surface topography of TRIP/TWIP steel was characterized by scanning electron microscopy using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. For this, applying micro milling and micro grinding processes with tool diameter of 45 µm, structures were machined into flat specimen surfaces of X30MnAl17–1 steel in defined areas previously characterized by EBSD.

Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is employed to characterize the microstructure and texture established during the process of warm rolled AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets. The grain size was refined from 17.4 μm to 3.8 μm after 4 pass rolling. Texture of as-rolled sheets was expressed by (0002) basal texture, and the texture intensity was increased with the rolling pass increasing. The mechanical properties of as-rolled sheets were greatly improved by warm rolling.

Even though the phenomenon of abnormal grain coarsening (AGC) or “exploded grains” has been known to occur in Alloy 718 industrial forgings there is still no satisfactory explanation for it. For this reason, detailed microstructure analysis has been carried out in normal and abnormal regions. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) was employed to determine grain size, boundary distribution and measure stored energy, while backscattered imagining in a FEGSEM was used to measure δ precipitate size and morphology. It was found that abnormal regions show almost 3 times as many twin boundaries compared to a normal region. In addition, the δ phase morphologies differ very significantly when comparing these two different regions. Normal regions display δ phase with a plate like nature, whereas in abnormal regions, δ particles appear to be more spherical. Furthermore, there are clear indications of differences in δ volume fractions between the two regions. Whilst in normal regions the δ phase is found predominantly at grain boundaries, in abnormal regions the δ is also found within grains. Both backscatter images and EBSD scans indicate that there are higher levels of stored energy within the normal regions, compared to the abnormal regions. These observations suggest that AGC occurs in regions where dynamic recrystallization does not happen and where recrystallization during solution heat treatment is affected by the local particle distribution.