EBSD colour map

Introduction

  • Crystalline and polycrystalline materials can be analysed using Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) to study the crystallographic structure, such as: grain orientation, misorientation, texture measurement, grain size distribution, grain boundary type and phases. This technique can also be used simultaneously with EDS
  • Typically, the sample is tilted to 70° to maximise the intensity of diffracted signal.
  • The electrons are subsequently diffracted by the tilted sample and the pattern is detected with a fluorescent screen.
  • The pattern is characteristic of the crystal structure and orientation and is named kikuchi pattern.
EBSD map of fe ni alloy
EBSD

Understanding crystallography

EBSD is useful for a range of samples, including in metallurgy and materials analysis as well as geological analyses. Not only can EBSD data provide inside into the stress and strain of a sample, it is also possible to analyse the effect of techniques such as annealing on materials or be used as a tool to solve a reason for faults in a product. 
In rocks, EBSD data can inform us whether a rock has been recrystallised, analyse palaeo-stress the sample has undergone or even determine deformation mechanisms in rocks in tectonic environments.