A comparison of grain size determination by light microscopy and EBSD analysis

Abstract

The characterization and measurement of grain structures is of great importance to materials scientists because not only does grain size strongly affect the mechanical properties, but it also has an influence on physical properties, surface properties and [3,4,5,6,7]. In most cases, it is assumed that the microstructure features, especially the grain size obtained from light microscopy and EBSD are the same. However, there is very little information available in literature related to the

Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and hardness of Eurofer 97, Eurofer ODS and T92 steels

“…It should be pointed out that the grain sizes of T92 and Eurofer 97 steels are evaluated by optical microscopy; and the grain sizes of Eurofer ODS steels are measured by EBSD technique because their grains are too small to be distinguished in an optical microscope. It is known that the grain size obtained from EBSD is more precise than that from optical microscopy [6]. Fig.…”

Characteristics of the Transition from Grain-Boundary Sliding to Solute Drag Creep in Superplastic AA5083

“…A discrepancy of the same magnitude has been documented in a careful analysis of grain sizes determined by OIM and optical microscopy methods applied to a low-carbon steel and also to an Al-Cu-Mg alloy. [48] In samples of these materials, microhardness indentations were employed to identify regions that were then examined by both OIM and optical microscopy. It was shown that numerous boundaries that had been identified by orientation differences in OIM were not revealed by conventional polishing and etching.…”

“…Similar discrepancies between OIM and optical microscopy have been attributed to the different mechanisms for identifying grains in these techniques. [48] In these AA5083 materials, the processing has resulted in fine, equiaxed, and stable grains and predominantly high-angle boundaries. Thus, upon heating prior to QPF, the microstructure meets the prerequisites for superplasticity.…”

Factors influencing creep flow and ductility in ultrafine-grained metals

“…Diffraction-based techniques for localized crystal orientation measurements, such as EBSD, are of central importance today for a characterization of these fine-scale microstructural features [22][23][24]. In addition to the grain size determination, there are a number of important microstructural parameters evaluated from EBSD but not available from conventional methods of grain characterization, in particular parameters relating to the grain orientations and boundary characters [25].…”