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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Processing of Bulk Nanocrystalline Metals at the US Army Research Laboratory
Published on: March 7, 2018
Watching the growth of bulk grains during recrystallization of deformed metals
S Schmidt1, S F Nielsen, C Gundlach
1Center for Fundamental Research, Metal Structures in Four Dimensions, Risø National Laboratory, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark. soeren.schmidt@risoe.dk
Abstract:
We observed the in situ growth of a grain during recrystallization in the bulk of a deformed sample. We used the three-dimensional x-ray diffraction microscope located at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France. The results showed a very heterogeneous growth pattern, contradicting the classical assumption of smooth and spherical growth of new grains during recrystallization. This type of in situ bulk measurement opens up the possibility of obtaining experimental data on scientific topics that before could only be analyzed theoretically on the basis of the statistical characterization of microstructures. For recrystallization, the in situ method includes direct measurements of nucleation and boundary migration through a deformed matrix.
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