ANALYZING SUPERPLASTIC MICROSTRUCTURES USING INTERACTIVE EBSP METHODS

Microtexture ann boundary characteristics have been analyzed in a comp arative study of post-deformation tensile specimens of a superplastica lly processed Al-10Mg-0.1Zr alloy using electron backscatter pattern m ethods in the scanning electron microscope. Interactive methods cere e mployed to capture nearest-neighbor (sub)grain diffraction patterns an d the data mere subsequently computer analyzed to produce information on the character of the interfacial boundary represented by the misori entation between neighboring crystals. The data from this study are us ed to determine whether grain boundary character is a microstructural feature responsible for the distinctly different tensile behavior obse rved in material processed according to two different thermomechanical processing schedules.