A three-dimensional X-ray diffraction microscope for deformation studies of polycrystals

The microstructure in polycrystalline materials has mostly been studied in planar sections by microscopy techniques. Now the high penetration power of hard X-ray synchrotron radiation makes three-dimensional (3-D) observations possible in bulk material by back tracing the diffracted beam. The three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscope installed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble provides a fast and non-destructive technique for mapping the embedded grains within thick samples in three dimensions. All essential features like the position, volume, orientation, stress-state of the grains can be determined, including the morphology of the grain boundaries. The accuracy of this novel tracking technique is compared with electron microscopy (EBSP), and its 3-D capacity is demonstrated.