Segmentation of 3D EBSD data for subgrain boundary identification and feature characterization

Subgrain structures formed during plastic deformation of metals can be observed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) but are challenging to identify automatically. We have adapted a 2D image segmentation technique, fast multiscale clustering (FMC), to 3D EBSD data using a novel variance function to accommodate quaternion data. This adaptation, which has been incorporated into the free open source texture analysis software package MTEX, is capable of segmenting based on subtle and gradual variation as well as on sharp boundaries within the data. FMC has been further modified to group the resulting closed 3D segment boundaries into distinct coherent surfaces based on local normals of a triangulated surface. We demonstrate the excellent capabilities of this technique with application to 3D EBSD data sets generated from cold rolled aluminum containing well-defined microbands, cold rolled and partly recrystallized extra low carbon steel microstructure containing three magnitudes of boundary misorientations, and channel-die plane strain compressed Goss-oriented nickel crystal containing microbands with very subtle changes in orientation.