In situ measurement of grain rotation during deformation of polycrystals

Texture evolution governs many of the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of polycrystalline materials, but texture models have only been tested on the macroscopic level, which makes it hard to distinguish between approaches that are conceptually very different. Here, we present a universal method for providing data on the underlying structural dynamics at the grain and subgrain level. The method is based on diffraction with focused hard x-rays. First results relate to the tensile deformation of pure aluminum. Experimental grain rotations are inconsistent with the classical Taylor and Sachs models.