ECCI based characterization of dislocation shear in polycrystalline arrays during heterogeneous deformation of commercially pure titanium

A new electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) based approach for the characterization of heterogeneous plastic deformation across multiple grains in a polycrystal is presented. The nature of the shear accommodation at grain boundaries has been assessed by evaluating the spatial distribution of dislocations and slip system activities near the boundaries and relating these observations to standard slip transfer criteria and the global state of stress. The direction of slip band propagation, and consequently the location of dislocation slip band nucleation, was determined by characterizing the slip band widths across individual grains. This assessment leads to a better understanding of the factors involved in polycrystalline deformation, including the grain boundary shear accommodation associated with both dislocation pile-ups and grain boundary dislocation nucleation. Because ECCI allows study of dislocation structures over large surface areas, and thus larger overall volumes than typically are accessible by other techniques, the overall approach allows the dislocation distribution across individual grains to be understood in terms of the broader polycrystalline constraints.