The study of grain orientation distributions and grain boundary misorientation distributions in 304 and 316L stainless steels

Orientation distribution functions in two recrystallized austenitic stainless steels (AISI types 304 and 316L) with known grain boundary misorientation distributions have been studied. Previously obtained data on grain boundary spectra in these steels have been re-examined and analyzed from the point of view of texture analysis.The results obtained have shown that there is no unambiguous relatonship between grain boundary misorientation distribution and grain orientation distribution (ODF) determined by the X-ray analysis in the materials under study. This ambiguity is due to the following reason. In the grain boundary misorientation statistics only nearest-neighbor grains are taken into account, but in the orientation distribution function orientations are averaged over the entire volume of the specimen independent as to whether the grains are adjacent or not. Two main results were established for the steels under study: (i) Textures of the two steels differ, though their grain boundary misorientation distributions are similar; and (ii) misorientations of the majority of grain boundaries can be described as rotations about the axes close to 110.     

Grain Boundary Junctions in Microstructure Generated by Multiple Twinning

The microstructure of a Cu-Ni alloy after static recrystallization was investigated using electron backscatter diffraction in a scanning electron microscope and the existence of orientationally related clusters of crystallites formed by multiple twinning has been established. Grain boundary and triple junction character within the clusters are analyzed. While the outer boundaries of the cluster are crystallographically random, all the inner boundaries have 3 ⁿ misorientations. A newly developed crystallographic theory of triple junctions and multicrystallite ensembles consisting of CSL boundaries is used to describe the structure of the cluster. The presence of an 1 triple junction is confirmed. Apparently, the microstructure of recrystallized materials susceptible to annealing twinning consists of multiple-twinned clusters. The cluster size cannot be reduced to the grain size excluding twins.     

TEM investigation of nanophase aluminum powder.

Nanophase aluminum powder was characterized in a field-emission-gun transmission electron microscope (TEM). Different techniques were used to investigate the structure of the particles, including conventional bright-field and dark-field imaging, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), high-resolution lattice imaging, diffraction studies, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and mapping, and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis and mapping. It has been established that the particle cores consist of aluminum single crystals that sometimes contain crystal lattice defects. The core is covered by a passivating layer of aluminum oxide a few nanometers thick. The alumina is mostly amorphous, but evidences of partial crystallinity of the oxide were also found. The thickness of this layer was measured using different techniques, and the results are in good agreement with each other. The particles are agglomerated in two distinct ways. Some particles were apparently bonded together during processing before oxidation. These mostly form dumbbells covered by a joint oxide layer. Also, oxidized particles are loosely assembled into relatively large clusters.     

Twin Junctions in Monoclinic Zirconia

Analysis of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy images of the microstructure of monoclinic zirconia film has revealed that some areas are built entirely of twins. Twin boundaries form triple and quadruple junctions. While the misorientations of the constituent boundaries are completely balanced at quadruple junctions, there is a small rotational mismatch at the junctions of three twin boundaries. This mismatch is compensated by wedge disclinations. Crystallography of the triple junctions is considered and factors stabilizing intrinsic junction disclinations are discussed.