| Abstract Scope |
Optimizing the properties of polycrystalline materials requires significant microstructural design, driven by our understanding of grain growth. Studies on grain growth have focused mostly on system-wide properties like grain size and growth rate, often overlooking local geometric, topological, crystallographic, and network effects, factors that require reliable 3D measurement. Developments in laboratory-based X-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) have enabled us to study the temporal evolution of an unprecedented 10,000 grains in a thin aluminum disc upon annealing, where the sample thickness is ~5x the initial grain diameter. With this data, we test the validity of the Lewis, von Neumann-Mullins, and the Aboav-Weaire laws for the ensemble of interior and surface-touching grains. Our analysis of surface and bulk grain boundary planes over time explores how curvature, crystallography, and free surface effects influence and constrain grain and grain boundary evolution. These insights deepen our understanding of microstructure evolution in thin samples. |