Using Misorientation and Weighted Burgers Vector Statistics to Understand Intragranular Boundary Development and Grain Boundary Formation at High Temperatures

Abstract

During plastic deformation, strain weakening can be achieved, in part, via strain energy reduction associated with intragranular boundary development and grain boundary formation. Grain boundaries (in 2D) are segments between triple junctions, that connect to encircle grains; every boundary segment in the encircling loop has a high (>10°) misorientation angle. Intragranular boundaries terminate within grains or dissect grains, usually containing boundary segments with a low (<10°) misorientation angle. We analyze electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data from ice deformed at −30°C (Th≈ ${T}_{h}\approx $ 0.9). Misorientation and weighted Burgers vector (WBV) statistics are calculated along planar intragranular boundaries. Misorientation angles change markedly along each intragranular boundary, linking low‐ (<10°) and high‐angle (10–38°) segments that exhibit distinct misorientation axes and WBV directions. We suggest that these boundaries might be produced by the growth and intersection of individual intragranular boundary segments comprising dislocations with distinct slip systems. There is a fundamental difference between misorientation axis distributions of intragranular boundaries (misorientation axes mostly confined to ice basal plane) and grain boundaries (no preferred misorientation axis). These observations suggest during progressive subgrain rotation, intragranular boundaries remain crystallographically controlled up to large misorientation angles (>>10°). In contrast, the apparent lack of crystallographic control for grain boundaries suggests misorientation axes become randomized, likely due to the activation of additional mechanisms (such as grain boundary sliding) after grain boundary formation, linking boundary segments to encircle a grain. Our findings on ice intragranular boundary development and grain boundary formation may apply more broadly to other rock‐forming minerals (e.g., olivine, quartz).