Deconvoluting error in measurement of low angle misorientation distribution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Crystallography
• Metallurgy

Background:

• Grain boundary misorientation distribution impacts material properties.
• Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a key technique for microstructural characterization.
• Measurement errors in EBSD challenge accurate analysis of small misorientation angles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of measurement error on misorientation angle distributions.
• To analyze systematic and random errors in low misorientation angle regimes.
• To develop methods for error deconvolution in EBSD measurements.

Main Methods:

• Cold-rolling of a Cu-5%Zn alloy sample to a true strain of 0.3.
• In-situ heating of the rolled sample from room temperature to 500°C.
• Analysis of misorientation angle distribution and measurement error using EBSD.

Main Results:

• Measurement error in misorientation distribution comprises random and systematic components.
• Systematic error significantly affects the statistical distribution of low angle misorientations.
• A method to deconvolute overall measurement error based on the EBSD technique was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• Accurate characterization of microstructures requires understanding and minimizing EBSD measurement errors.
• Systematic errors are inherent to measurement techniques with a lower bound.
• The findings aid in more reliable analysis of grain boundary properties and material behavior.