Characterization of three-dimensional grain structure in polycrystalline iron by serial sectioning
Abstract
The face number, the volume, and the surface area (boundary area) of grains are measured in recrystallized α-iron by serial sectioning coupled with quantitative microstructural analysis on two-dimensional (2-D) sections. The sampling volume contained approximately 1000 grains whose mean grain size was ∼15 µm. The grain volume distribution decreased monotonously with increasing grain volume, whereas the surface area had a peak around one-half of the average. The distribution of the sphere equivalent radii significantly deviated from the log-normal distribution and distributions predicted from mean field theories. The peak and the mean of the face number distribution were f=11 and 12.1, respectively. The linear relationship between the face number of a central grain and the mean face number of surrounding grains, known as the Aboav-Weaire law, was observed in three dimensions. The mean radius of f-faced grains was not proportional to the face number (perimeter law in 3-D), but appeared to be related by a curve convex upward.
- Publication:
-
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A
- Pub Date:
- July 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s11661-004-0141-5
- Bibcode:
- 2004MMTA...35.1927Z