No abstract

A newly developed laser powered heating stage for commercial SEMs in combination with automated established electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data acquisition is presented. This novel experimental setup can be used to achieve more information about microstructure and orientation changes during grain growth, recrystallization, recovery, and phase transformations. First results on theα−γ−αphase transformation in steel within886∘C–900∘C are presented.

A laser powered heating stage designed for application in high vacuum environment of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is presented. It was developed to observe and characterize microstructural changes in crystalline materials at elevated temperatures up to 1000 degrees C. The approach utilizes the power output of a commercial infrared diode laser in order to heat up specimens without interference with the electronic system of the SEM. The heating stage can be used in combination with any standard characterization technique applicable for SEMs--electron backscatter diffraction, orientation contrast imaging, x-ray energy dispersive spectrometry, etc. The results of test measurements are presented.

The ferrite to austenite phase transformation in microalloyed steel was studied, with a special focus on the orientation relationship between prior ferrite and subsequent austenite. Also the role of growth selection and preferred nucleation was investigated in this context. Their effects were examined at partial phase transformation.