Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)
Orientation map of wrought magnesium exhibiting strong (0001) texture.
Magnesium offers an appealing combination of high strength and low density. However, in order for it to be useful, manufacturing challenges must be overcome. In magnesium alloys, the formability is directly related to the slip system orientation distribution. Wrought magnesium alloys generally have a (0001) texture, which creates anisotropic materials properties. The image above shows an orientation map of wrought magnesium exhibiting a strong (0001) texture. Improvements in texture control and formability are needed to increase the use of magnesium alloys in automotive applications. EBSD is used to understand the effects of alloying, deformation rate and temperature on formability in order to help make magnesium a viable lightweight material.
EBSD Image Quality and Phase map of olivine (blue), quartz (yellow), and enstatite (red) from a geological sample.