Papers by Keyword: SEM/EBSD

Abstract: Structural modification of ternary aluminium – zinc – coper alloys influences their wear properties. In a series of studies, Al – 30 wt. % Zn – 3 wt. % Cu alloy (Al-30Zn-3Cu) has been doped with 1 wt.% Mn introduced with AlMn-based master alloys. The alloy microstructure and mechanical properties have been studied using light and SEM/EBSD microscopy, and measurements of wear resistance and dimensional changes. Reducing Cu content to 3 wt.% and doping with 1 wt.% Mn allows obtaining alloy of significantly refined grains, improved wear resistance and preserved high dimensional stability.

Abstract: The crystallographic aspects of nucleation of cube grains during annealing have been analyzed in (234)[20-28 11] - oriented aluminum single crystal. The samples were plane strain compressed in a channel-die up to logarithmic strains of 0.5 (40%) and then annealed to develop initial and final stages of primary recrystallization. The deformed and annealed samples were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy equipped with EBSD facility. Local orientation measurements reveled that significant part of the sample deforms homogeneously with only small deviation from the initial crystal orientation. The heterogeneities were thin bands of localized strain in which the crystal lattice rotate towards another variant of S orientation. After annealing the orientations identified inside deformed/recovered areas were similar to that observed in the sample just after deformation. The crystal lattice of recrystallized grains exhibit a well-defined clockwise and anticlockwise rotations around the axes grouped near all normals of the {111} planes of the deformed/recovered state. The cube grains were observed in both homogeneously and heterogeneously deformed areas despite the cube-oriented nuclei surrounded by high angle boundary were not present in the as-deformed structure.

Abstract: The crystallographic aspects of recrystallization twinning have been characterized in {110}<001> and {110}<112>-oriented single crystals of Cu-2%wt.Al and Al-1%wt.Mn alloys. The samples were plane strain compressed to logarithmic strain of 0.52 and then lightly annealed. SEM/EBSD local orientation measurements on partly recrystallized samples demonstrate the appearance of a specific number of new orientation groups of recrystallized grains, which resulted from rotation of the deformed crystal orientations around axes lying near (but rarely at) selected the <111> directions. Then the primary nucleus can transform through the formation of a first generation recrystallization twin. The most frequent situation was that the twinning plane normal was situated near the rotation axis, around which the crystal lattice of the ‘primary nuclei’ rotates. Based on new algorithm to identify coherent and incoherent twin boundaries the influence of free surface on the intensity of annealing twinning was analyzed.

Abstract: The results of studies carried out on AA1200 aluminum alloy deformed by Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) are presented in this paper. The commercial purity material was deformed up to 10 cycles (equivalent plastic strain of 8) at room temperature. The deformed microstructures and the crystallographic textures were characterized by transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopes and high resolution orientation mapping. It was found that increased deformation leads to a strong increase of quantity of high angle (>15°) grain boundaries and strong grain refinement (up to 200-300 nm). The microstructure observations and TEM and SEM local orientation measurements allowed identifying fine and strongly disoriented planar dislocation structure of nanolayers described by strong texture components close to two nearly complementary positions of {112} orientation.

Abstract: The article presents the results of microstructure evolution studies of the FeCr30Co8 hard magnetic alloy, subjected to deformation by tension and torsion at 700 and 720 °C. The observations in the longitudinal section of the samples in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a formation of gradient microstructure with the maximum grain refinement in the surface layer of the material. The EBSD examination confirmed the refinement of structure in the surface layer and the presence of sub-grained structure of the material. A little larger refinement of α phase grains was observed at temperature of deformation 700 °C than at 720 °C. However, the deformation was inhomogeneous along the whole longitudinal section of the sample. The highest deformation degree resulted from the torsion.

Abstract: Magnetically hard Fe-Cr-Co-based alloys are distinguished by their good ductility, excellent magnetic properties and low cost. Their superior magnetic properties are obtained by magnetic treatment and multistage tempering, which results in spinodal decomposition of the solid solution into the isomorphous α1 and α2 phases. However, the α1+α2 microstructure causes a reduction in the plasticity and strength of the material. It can often be advantageous for permanent magnets to maintain fine magnetic properties throughout their volume along while retaining good mechanical properties only in the subsurface layer. To improve the mechanical properties of the latter, FeCr30Co8 samples were deformed in tension combined with torsion. Loading was applied at 750°C, which ensured that the conditions for superplastic deformation were fulfilled. Here, we present the results of microstructure investigations of the samples treated in the aforementioned manner. Observations of the longitudinal section of the samples showed the formation of a gradient microstructure with the maximum grain refinement in the surface layer and the characteristic rotation of the elongated α phase grains from positions nearly perpendicular to the tension axis at the surface to positions tilted at approximately 45º to the tension axis inside the material. Deformation at superplastic conditions also activated precipitation of the σ intermetallic phase, particularly in the areas of highest deformation. The refinement of the microstructure and precipitation of the σ-phase resulted in a significant increase in hardness at the surface of the FeCr30Co8 samples.

Abstract: Titanium and aluminum sheets were directionally strained by friction roll surface processing (FRSP). Severe shear strain was imposed into the surface layer and strain gradient was formed through the thickness of the sheet. The microstructure and texture in as-strained state were investigated by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction technique. Ultra-fine grains in the surface layer of the titanium sheet were found to have a sharp texture with a preferred orientation strongly related to the FRSP direction. The evolution of microstructure and crystallographic texture of FRSPed samples during annealing were studied by electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. Obvious preferred orientations of shear straining were obtained in the surface layer of both materials as a result from FRSP and subsequent annealing.

Abstract: The development of blocks and subblocks in the lath martensite was observed with SEM/EBSD and TEM/Kikuchi diffraction patterns analyses. Morphology of lath martensite formed below Ms temperature was observed using step quenching method in 18 mass% Ni maraging steel. The development of lath martensite structure can be described as follow; lath groups with single K-S variant start to form at the austenite grain boundary. Next, other sub-blocks appear adjacent to the lath groups formed first and these lath groups form macroscopic blocks observed in optical microscopy. The morphologies of the lath martensite in Fe -23 mass% Ni alloy cooled at different cooling rates after austenitization were also observed. The packet size and block thickness decreases with increasing cooling rate, although the sub-block thickness do not change. A packet locally contains small packets with different relationship of close packed planes, and the amount of small packets increases with increasing the cooling rate.

Abstract: Al-Mg-Si alloy is the suitable material for the automotive body application. However, it is found that a rope-like profile (ridging) develops when the Al-Mg-Si alloy sheet is stretched along the transverse direction. In this study, in order to clarify the formation process of ridging developed in Al-Mg-Si alloy, the relation between ridging and texture components of the sheet was investigated by 3D profile microscope and SEM/EBSD method. It was found that the ridging developed remarkably in the hot-rolled (at higher temperature) and annealed sheets. In ridging sample, there was the band of cube oriented grains (cube band). It was also found that the region of cube band corresponded to the ridges and valleys which caused a rope-like profile in the sheets. It could be thought that the difference of plastic deformability between cube-oriented grains and other oriented grains led to the development of ridging. This assumption is supported by the lower Taylor factor of cube oriented grains than other oriented grains. From these results, it was concluded that the development of ridging was strongly affected by the distribution of cube oriented grains.

Abstract: This paper described new characterization methods and data to quantify the influence of solute atoms on grain boundary and sub-grain boundary mobilities in Al-Mn alloys with a view to their integration into recovery and recrystallization modelling. Detailed SEM measurements of grain boundary mobilities during recrystallization have been made by in-situ annealing experiments on cold deformed Al – 0.1 and 0.3wt.% Mn binary alloys. Stored energies are estimated from the sub-grain sizes and misorientations and the boundary velocities directly measured in the temperature range 200-450°C. It is shown that in many cases good agreement with the Cahn, Lücke, Stüwe model for solute drag is obtained, e.g. the activation energies are intermediate between those of boundary and volume solute diffusion. Some particular cases of rapid growth occur in Al-0.1%Mn indicating boundary breakaway from solute clouds. A complementary study of sub-grain boundary mobilities has started on the same alloys; in this case the average mobilities are estimated from FEG-SEM growth data for the average sub-grain size for temperatures in the range 150-300°C. The results are compared with some previous data on Al- Si and show similar rates.