Microtexture analysis of interstitial-free steel

Electron backscatter diffraction has been used in conjunction with a scanning electron microscope to obtain orientation measurements of individual grains in an interstitial-free steel. The microstructure of the material reveals the presence of “raised” grains with respect to the surface. Electron backscatter diffraction reveals that the majority of these grains are {100} 〈011〉 oriented in the normal direction to the surface. Furthermore, the electron backscatter diffraction patterns associated with this grain type are of poor quality, indicating that they retain a high degree of deformation that may ultimately detract from the properties of the materials. Grain-boundary analysis revealed that low-angle boundaries are unlikely to exist between “raised” grains and other grain types, which may play a role in adhesion characteristics of zinc coatings. The electron backscatter diffraction technique was additionally used to demonstrate that a texture gradient exists between the surface and the midplane of the material.