In-situ observation of particle pinning during grain growth in Al-Cu alloy using a combination of PCT, DCT and Topotomography

In this proposal, we seek to understand at a fundamental level the interaction mechanism between grain boundaries and second-phase particles by harnessing real-time X-ray diffraction contrast tomography and topotomography at beamline 11-ID. The latter technique offers a sufficiently high spatial resolution (in order to reconstruct the grain shape and compute the local curvatures with high fidelity) and also a high temporal resolution (to follow the dynamics of grain boundaries in the presence of particles). Capturing in situ the moment that grain boundaries bypass the particles will be a major breakthrough in microstructural science, with far-reaching implications to the manufacture of fine-grained materials.