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Abstract Modern analytical tools, from microfocus X-ray diffraction (XRD) to electron microscopy-based microtexture measurements, offer exciting possibilities of diffraction-based multiscale residual strain measurements. The different techniques differ in scale and resolution, but may also yield significantly different strain values. This study, for example, clearly established that high-resolution electron backscattered diffraction (HR-EBSD) and high-resolution transmission Kikuchi diffraction (HR-TKD) [sensitive to changes in interplanar angle (Δθθ)], provide quantitatively higher residual strains than micro-Laue XRD and transmission electron microscope (TEM) based precession electron diffraction (PED) [sensitive to changes in interplanar spacing (Δdd)]. Even after correcting key known factors affecting the accuracy of HR-EBSD strain measurements, a scaling factor of ∼1.57 (between HR-EBSD and micro-Laue) emerged. We have then conducted “virtual” experiments by systematically deforming an ideal lattice by either changing an interplanar angle (α) or a lattice parameter (a). The patterns were kinematically and dynamically simulated, and corresponding strains were measured by HR-EBSD. These strains showed consistently higher values for lattice(s) distorted by α, than those altered by a. The differences in strain measurements were further emphasized by mapping identical location with HR-TKD and TEM-PED. These measurements exhibited different spatial resolution, but when scaled (with ∼1.57) provided similar lattice distortions numerically. 

Structural aluminum alloys are often less-than ideal materials for studying sub-grain strain gradients via EBSD, at typical resolution settings. Sharply defined slip bands are not generally observed due to cross-slip, and secondphase particles formed during solidification of work-hardened alloys provide obstacles that disrupt potential structure development, leading to what can seem like random distributions of geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs). This study considers the roles of length-scale and second-phase particles in sub-grain distributions of AA6016-T4 following deformation. Second-phase particles are shown to play a stronger role than grain boundaries (GBs) in local GND accumulations. The net Burgers vector is used to show the transition from crystallographic-level slip to macro-scale slip as length scale increases, with a corresponding transition in the GND vs. step size graph. A strain gradient crystal plasticity model is applied to assess predictability of the observations. Real 3D structures were extracted, via serial sectioning, following application of different strain paths. Predicted GND and total dislocation evolution closely follows observed values. The model is then used to study the relative contributions of GBs and second-phase particles to GND localization, leading to the conclusion that second-phase particles must be included in the model to reflect observed behavior. 

TBF 1180 steel was plastically deformed under different strain paths in order to study both the ductility and RA transformation rates. Specimens were prepared from a 1 mm thick sheet and then tested incrementally under uniaxial tension, plane-strain tension, and biaxial tension. The retained austenite (RA) levels were measured, as a function of the plastic strain, using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The plane-strain tension specimens had the fastest rate of RA transformation as a function of strain, followed by uniaxial tension, and then biaxial tension. The forming limits were measured for each strain path, yielding major limit strains of 0.12 under uniaxial tension, 0.09 under plane-strain tension, and 0.16 under biaxial tension. These results were compared to prior work on a 1.2 mm Q&P 1180 steel sheet, which had a similar yield and ultimate tensile strength, but exhibited slightly greater forming limits than the TBF material. The visual inspection of the micrographs appeared to show an equiaxed RA morphology in the Q&P 1180 steel and a mixture of equiaxed and lamellar RA grains in the TBF 1180 steel. However, the statistics generated by EBSD revealed that both alloys had RA grains with essentially the same aspect ratios. The average RA grain size in the Q&P alloy was found to be about three times larger than that of the TBF alloy. As such, the small but consistent formability advantage exhibited by the Q&P 1180 alloy along all three strain paths can be attributed to its larger average RA grain size, where larger RA grain sizes correlated with a more gradual transformation rate.