The distribution of intervariant crystallographic planes in a lath martensite using five macroscopic parameters

Electron backscatter diffraction analysis was employed to compute the closest orientation relationship and the distribution of intervariant boundary character in a lath martensitic microstructure. The misorientations were close to the Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship. The intervariant crystallographic plane distribution exhibited a relatively high anisotropy with a tendency for the lath interfaces to terminate on (1 1 0) planes. This results from the crystallographic constraints associated with the shear transformation rather than a low energy interface configuration. The lath martensite habit plane was determined to be mostly (1 1 0) or near (1 1 0). The relative populations of boundaries with [1 1 1] and [1 1 0] misorientations were greater than other high index misorientations, mostly characterized as (1 1 0) symmetric tilt and (1 1 0) twist boundary types, respectively. Analysis with homology metrics of the connectivity in the lath martensitic microstructure revealed the connectivity dominated by population of misorientation angle and boundary plane type.