Recent studies of local texture and its influence on failure

Advances in techniques for measuring individual crystallographic orientations in polycrystals have made it possible to investigate the role of local crystallography on failure in polycrystalline materials in more detail than previously possible. In particular, the automated electron backscatter diffraction technique is particularly well suited for making spatially specific measurements of crystallographic orientation. This tool has made it practical to characterize the local distribution of orientations in polycrystalline microstructures with statistical significance. This work reviews the application of the automatic electron backscatter diffraction technique to the characterization of the various crystallographic parameters associated with failure. Several approaches for investigating the role of various crystallographic parameters on crack behavior in polycrystals are shown in the context of statistical distribution functions along with the use of the automated electron diffraction technique for acquiring the necessary orientation data.