Abstract This article demonstrates the complementary value of combining electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) for materials characterization through two case studies. EBSD provides localized crystallographic information from micron to millimeter-scale areas within a scanning electron microscope, while XRD characterizes larger centimeter-sized regions using a diffractometer, with both techniques capable of revealing texture and phase composition. The first case study examined texture measurements in oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) and non-ODS additively manufactured nickel-based superalloys. The second case study focused on phase identification of desert soil samples serving as lunar analogues for radio frequency property investigations. Together, the studies illustrate how EBSD's site-specific sensitivity and XRD's bulk representativeness create a comprehensive characterization approach where each technique validates and complements the other, ensuring that neither minor phases nor overall composition are overlooked in materials analysis.
Wilson et al. (Thu,) studied this question.