Precession electron diffraction assisted orientation mapping of gradient nanostructure in a Ni-based superalloy

Surface mechanical grinding of a Ni-based superalloy can introduce a gradient microstructure in the surface layer with a grain size from nanoscale to microscale. In-depth investigation of the crystal orientation distribution of the surface nanostructured layer is more often, however, not an easy work by using the scanning electron microscope (SEM) based electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) method due to its sensitivity to lattice distortions and spatial resolution limitation. Here we use a newly developed precession electron diffraction (PED) technique coupled with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the microstructural and crystallographic characteristics of the surface gradient nanostructure, with particular emphasis on the topmost nanocrystalline layer. A strong shear texture and a minor Copper texture were identified according to orientation analyses of the 1.6 pm thick near-surface nanocrystalline layer. The PED technique is proved to be practical for two dimensional orientation mapping of severely deformed microstructures at the nanoscale.