A semi-automated method was used to measure all 5 macroscopically observable parameters of 4.1 x 106 boundary plane segments making up 5.4mm2 of boundary area in a hot-pressed magnesia polycrystal. The observations allow a complete description of the distribution of crystal orientations, grain boundary misorientations, and the crystallographic orientations of grain boundary planes. Among the low misorientation angle grain boundaries, there was a preference for tilt boundaries, especially those with boundary plane normals in the <110> direction. At all fixed misorientations, there was a preference for boundaries with a boundary plane normal in the <100> direction. These boundaries were generally asymmetric and occurred at least twice as frequently as the average boundary for each fixed misorientation.

Distribution of Grain Boundaries in Magnesia as a Function of Five Macroscopic Parameters. D.M.Saylor, A.Morawiec, G.S.Rohrer: Acta Materialia, 2003, 51[13], 3663-74