Grain boundary character distribution derived from three-dimensional microstructure reconstruction

Manual serial sectioning which includes consecutive steps of sample preparation and Electron Back Scattering Diffraction (EBSD) measurement was employed to extract the twodimensional (2D) sections of a pure nickel sample and to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) microstructure. A general alignment algorithm based on the minimization of misorientation between two adjacent sections has been developed to accurately align the sections. By employing this alignment algorithm, any in-plane (translational) and rotational misalignment as well as the planparallelity can be corrected. Surface triangulation technique was used to reconstruct the grain boundary surfaces. The Grain Boundary Character Distribution (GBCD) was derived from reconstructed grain boundaries. The results show that a smoother grain boundary plane can be obtained after precise translational and rotational alignment and correction of planparallelity.

The relative grain boundary energy was computed as a function of the five grain boundary parameters based on equilibrium at triple lines. The results show that the grain boundary planes carrying a Σ3 type misorientation are dominantly parallel to the {111} crystal plane, which indicates the presence of coherent twin boundaries. It was observed that coherent Σ3 type boundaries exhibit the minimum relative grain boundary energy, which is approximately 57% smaller than the average of all Σ3 boundaries, including also incoherent twin boundaries.