Mapping local orientation and strain fields around intermetallic particles in an Al2050 alloy during elastic tensile loading by scanning 3DXRD and DCT
Abstract
Intermetallic phases are known to significantly influence the evolution of the local microstructure in Al alloys during processing and thus affect their mechanical properties. However, non-destructively mapping the local orientation and strain fields around intermetallic particles remains technically challenging. Here, we present a multi-modal synchrotron X-ray study on an Al2050 alloy to map the orientations and strains in both Al grains and secondary-phase particles as a function of tensile loading in the elastic regime. Combined with phase contrast tomography (PCT), we visualize the spatial distribution of the secondary phases and pre-existing pores together with the 3D Al grain structure characterized by diffraction contrast tomography (DCT), while higher resolution mappings of orientations and strains for both Al and secondary phase particles (Al7Cu2Fe) are resolved by scanning 3D X-ray diffraction (s3DXRD). This multi-modal approach not only allows comprehensive micro-structure characterization, but also cross-validates the grain orientation reconstruction. The results show that during tensile loading, the intermetallic particles undergo a compressive strain and induce a high stress gradient and unexpected lattice rotation in a local area of an Al grain. This highlights the presence of grain plasticity at only 55% of the yield stress influenced by the intermetallic particles. We demonstrate that studying the evolution of the matrix-precipitates microstructure greatly benefits from the multi-modal approach of combining PCT, DCT and s3DXRD
Related
- Interferometric Vector Piezoresponse Force Microscopy for Simultaneous Ferroelectric Domain and Crystallographic Orientation Mapping in Uniaxial Ferroelectric Polycrystals
- Nanoscale mapping of transition metal ordering in individual LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 particles using 4D-STEM ACOM technique
- Pressure-Induced Formation of Intermetallic CrBi2
- Theoretical insights into intermetallic compound surfaces in hydrogen-involving catalytic reactions
- Selective synthesis of hierarchical nanoporous Mo–Ni intermetallic compounds as hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts via partial liquid metal dealloying
BibTeX
@article{macieira2026mapping,
title = {{Mapping local orientation and strain fields around intermetallic particles in an Al2050 alloy during elastic tensile loading by scanning 3DXRD and DCT}},
author = {Gisele Macieira and Pierre Lhuissier and James A.D. Ball and Jonathan Wright and Luc Salvo and Haixing Fang},
journal = {Materials Characterization},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.matchar.2026.116095},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05785124v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mapping local orientation and strain fields around intermetallic particles in an Al2050 alloy during elastic tensile loading by scanning 3DXRD and DCT
AU - Gisele Macieira
AU - Pierre Lhuissier
AU - James A.D. Ball
AU - Jonathan Wright
AU - Luc Salvo
AU - Haixing Fang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Materials Characterization
DO - 10.1016/j.matchar.2026.116095
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05785124v1
AB - Intermetallic phases are known to significantly influence the evolution of the local microstructure in Al alloys during processing and thus affect their mechanical properties. However, non-destructively mapping the local orientation and strain fields around intermetallic particles remains technically challenging. Here, we present a multi-modal synchrotron X-ray study on an Al2050 alloy to map the orientations and strains in both Al grains and secondary-phase particles as a function of tensile loading in the elastic regime. Combined with phase contrast tomography (PCT), we visualize the spatial distribution of the secondary phases and pre-existing pores together with the 3D Al grain structure characterized by diffraction contrast tomography (DCT), while higher resolution mappings of orientations and strains for both Al and secondary phase particles (Al7Cu2Fe) are resolved by scanning 3D X-ray diffraction (s3DXRD). This multi-modal approach not only allows comprehensive micro-structure characterization, but also cross-validates the grain orientation reconstruction. The results show that during tensile loading, the intermetallic particles undergo a compressive strain and induce a high stress gradient and unexpected lattice rotation in a local area of an Al grain. This highlights the presence of grain plasticity at only 55% of the yield stress influenced by the intermetallic particles. We demonstrate that studying the evolution of the matrix-precipitates microstructure greatly benefits from the multi-modal approach of combining PCT, DCT and s3DXRD
SN - 1044-5803
ER -