The 3-dimensional X-ray diffraction microscope: 3D maps of grains and grain dynamics in polycrystalline materials

Abstract
Three-Dimensional X-Ray Diffraction (3DXRD) microscopy, an emerging characterisation tool based on high energy synchrotron radiation is presented. The 3DXRD microscope located at the Materials Science beam line at ESRF is dedieated to local m scale structural characterisation within bulk materials. It is capable of providing information on position, volume, crystallographic orientation, and stress-state of hundreds of embedded grains simultaneously. Furthermore for recrystallized materials three-dimensional maps of the grain boundary morphology can be produced with a spatial resolution of 5  m. The capabilities of the method is illustrated with a number of applications from the field of metallurgy, but the technique applies equally well to a wider range of materials science problems.