Quantification of dislocation structure heterogeneity in deformed polycrystals by EBSD

Plastic deformation in polycrystalline materials involves a complex interaction of dislocations with defects in the lattice. The geometrically necessary component of the dislocation density can be quantified to some extent using data obtained from automated electron backscatter diffraction scans over planar regions or volumes using the three-dimensional imaging techniques that are currently available. Reliable measurements require that the step size of the orientation data used in determination of geometrically necessary dislocation densities be on the scale of the microstructural information. Measurements were performed in deformed Cu, Al and steel specimens. Geometrically necessary dislocation density in Cu deformed 10% in compression was about 15–30% of the overall estimated dislocation density. Measurements in Al demonstrate that three-dimensional estimates are on the order of 1.2–2 times the values obtained from 2D measurements on the same structures. Analysis of interstitial free steel specimens shows an increase in average geometrically necessary dislocation density by an order of magnitude for specimens deformed to 12% tensile deformation elongation.