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Electron backscattered diffraction characterization technique for analysis of a Ti 2 AlNb intermetallic alloy
Author(s) -
WYNICK G. L.,
BOEHLERT C. J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2005.01499.x
Subject(s) - intermetallic , alloy , characterization (materials science) , materials science , electron diffraction , diffraction , electron backscatter diffraction , metallurgy , crystallography , optics , chemistry , physics , nanotechnology , microstructure
Summary This investigation was conducted to ascertain the benefits of electropolishing after mechanical polishing for electron backscattered diffraction of a Ti 2 AlNb intermetallic Ti−21Al−29Nb (at.%) alloy containing the orthorhombic (O) and body‐centered‐cubic (BCC) phases. Electropolishing was performed at −40 °C in 6% H 2 SO 4 methanol solution. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the surface topography in attempt to correlate nano‐scale surface roughness with electron backscatter diffraction pattern quality. The results suggest that mechanically polishing with colloidal silica (SiO 2 ) or alumina followed by electropolishing is a sufficient surface preparatory technique for producing quality electron backscattered diffraction patterns for O + BCC microstructures. However, poor pattern quality results after mechanically polishing without electropolishing. High‐quality orientation maps for O‐dominated O + BCC microstructures were only possible through mechanical polishing followed by electropolishing. The data also suggest that surface roughness, on the order of 50 nm, has less effect on pattern quality than subsurface deformation. Overall, removing the near‐surface damage was more critical than reduction of topography.