Microsc. Microanal. Microstruct. 4, 349-358 (1993)
DOI: 10.1051/mmm:0199300404034900

Grain boundary planes and their energies as estimated by dihedral angle measurements in nickel

Valerie Randle

Department of Materials Engineering, University College, Swansea, SA2 8PP, U.K.

Abstract
Grain misorientations and boundary plane orientations have been measured for a sample population of grain boundaries in nickel. E = 3 boundaries were widespread, and the majority of them were either symmetrical or asymmetrical tilts on the 011 zone. The dihedral angles at grain junctions have also been measured and correlated with the relative grain boundary energy. From these data it was inferred that asymmetrical tilt E = 3s are low energy, although the resolution of the dihedral angle technique was insufficient to distinguish a hierarchy of relative energies within the E = 3 tilt class. The applicability of the well-established dihedral angle approach to assessment of relative grain boundary energy is discussed, particularly in the light of modern scanning electron microscopy diffraction techniques. The advantages of electron backscatter diffraction in a scanning electron microscope compared to transmission electron microscopy for grain boundary studies in polycrystalline materials are also highlighted.

PACS
6172M - Grain and twin boundaries.

Key words
Experimental study -- Grain boundaries -- Energy -- Nickel -- TEM -- SEM -- Structure of liquids -- Structure of solids -- Crystallography -- Condensed matter physics -- Materials science -- Physics -- Metals -- Metallurgy -- Condensed state physics -- Transition elements


© EDP Sciences 1993