Parent grain reconstruction from partially or fully transformed microstructures in MTEX

A versatile generic framework for parent grain reconstruction from fully or partially transformed child microstructures has been integrated into the open-source crystallographic toolbox MTEX. The framework extends traditional parent grain reconstruction, phase transformation and variant analysis to all parent–child crystal symmetry combinations. The inherent versatility of the universally applicable parent grain reconstruction methods and the ability to conduct in-depth variant analysis are showcased via example workflows that can be programmatically modified by users to suit their specific applications. This is highlighted by three applications, namely α′-to-γ reconstruction in a lath martensitic steel, α-to-β reconstruction in a Ti alloy, and a two-step reconstruction from α′ to ɛ to γ in a twinning and transformation-induced plasticity steel. Advanced orientation relationship discovery and analysis options, including variant analysis, are demonstrated via the add-on function library ORTools.

Texture Memory in Hexagonal Metals and Its Mechanism

Texture memory is a phenomenon in which retention of initial textures occurs after a complete cycle of forward and backward transformations, and it occurs in various phase-transforming materials including cubic and hexagonal metals such as steels and Ti and Zr alloys. Texture memory is known to be caused by the phenomena called variant selection, in which some of the allowed child orientations in an orientation relationship between the parent and child phases are preferentially selected. Without such variant selection, the phase transformations would randomize preferred orientations. In this article, the methods of prediction of texture memory and mechanisms of variant selections in hexagonal metals are explored. The prediction method using harmonic expansion of orientation distribution functions with the variant selection in which the Burgers orientation relationship, {110}β//{0001}α-hex <11¯1>β//21¯1¯0α-hex, is held with two or more adjacent parent grains at the same time, called “double Burgers orientation relation (DBOR)”, is introduced. This method is shown to be a powerful tool by which to analyze texture memory and ultimately provide predictive capabilities for texture changes during phase transformations. Variation in nucleation and growth rates on special boundaries and an extensive growth of selected variants are also described. Analysis of textures of commercially pure Ti observed in situ by pulsed neutron diffraction reveals that the texture memory in CP-Ti is indeed quite well predicted by consideration of the mechanism of DBOR. The analysis also suggests that the nucleation and growth rates on the special boundary of 90° rotation about 21¯1¯0α-hex should be about three times larger than those of the other special boundaries, and the selected variants should grow extensively into not only one parent grain but also other grains in α-hex(hexagonal)→β(bcc) transformation. The model calculations of texture development during two consecutive cycles of α-hex→β→α-hex transformation in CP-Ti and Zr are also shown.

Study on Phase Transformation Orientation Relationship of HCP-FCC during Rolling of High Purity Titanium

High purity titanium (Ti) thin strip was prepared by rolling with large deformation and was characterized by the means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), selected area diffraction (SAED) pattern, high-resolution (HRTEM) analysis, as well as Transmission Kikuchi Diffraction (TKD). It is found that there are face-centered cubic (FCC) Ti laths formed within the matrix of hexagonal close packing (HCP) Ti. This shows that the HCP-FCC phase transition occurred during the rolling, and a specific orientation relationship (OR) between HCP phase and FCC phase obeys ⟨0001⟩α// ⟨001⟩FCC and {100}α//{110}FCC. The ORs of HCP-FCC phase transition are deeply studied by TKD pole figure and phase transformation matrix. It is found that the derived results via pole figure and transformation matrix are equivalent, and are consistent with TEM-SAED analysis results, which proves that these two methods can effectively characterize the ORs of HCP-FCC phase transition and predict possible FCC phase variants.