Character and Distribution of Geometrically Necessary Dislocations in Polycrystalline Tantalum

Geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) play a key role in accommodating strain incompatibility between neighboring grains in polycrystalline materials. One critical step toward accurately capturing GNDs in deformation models involves studying the microstructural features that promote GND accumulation and the resulting character of GND fields. This study utilizes high-resolution electron backscatter diffraction to map GND populations in a large polycrystalline sample of pure tantalum, under simple tension. A total of 1,989 grains, 3,518 grain boundaries (GBs), and 3,207 triple junctions (TJs) were examined in a subsurface region of the sample. Correlations between GND density and GB character, and to some extent, TJ character, are investigated. Statistical geometrical relationships between these entities are quantified, and also visualized, using a novel application of two-point statistics. The nature of GNDs across the sample is also visualized and assessed using a recently developed method of mapping the local net Burgers vectors. The different approaches to characterizing GND distribution are compared in terms of how they quantify the size of near boundary gradient zones.