Crystallographic texture in Materials

Abstract

Many naturally occurring as well as man made materials comprise of large number of crystallites with a preferred orientation. The preferred orientation, popularly known as texture, governs various structural and mechanical properties of these materials. Texture may develop during variety of processes like solidification, plastic deformation, annealing and phase transformation. It is, therefore, possible to tailor texture in materials to enhance a particular property. Traditionally, X-ray and neutron diffraction had been used to study texture in materials. It has been very recently that other techniques based on synchrotron X-rays and SEM based Electron Backscattered Diffraction have been developed for complete characterization of texture in materials. In the present review, the authors discuss the pole figures and more comprehensive orientation distribution function methods for texture analysis. In addition, a brief account of texture evolution in various technologically important materials, ranging from common metals and alloys to intermetallics, ceramics and polymers along with some naturally occurring materials like rocks, ice, bones etc. has been given. The present review is particularly aimed at readers newly initiated in this field rather than the experts.