Microstructure and texture analysis of 304 austenitic stainless steel using Bragg edge transmission imaging

Abstract

Bragg edge imaging using pulsed neutrons is a non-destructive technique for studying microstructure and texture of materials. It provides two-dimensional visualization of crystallographic information using a pixelated gas electron multiplier detector and a time-of-flight method. In this work, the properties of type 304 austenitic stainless steel samples were studied via Bragg edge imaging. The samples included hot-rolled, cold-rolled and heat-treated specimens, which were characterized to investigate texture, phase fraction and grain growth. The results showed that the crystallite size increased with increasing annealing temperature. The cold-rolled and annealed samples exhibited strong textures, while the hot-rolled sample showed no preferred orientation. The phase volume fraction of induced martensite in the cold-rolled sample was also obtained. Two-dimensional maps of microstructures and textures were obtained without destructive processes. The results were validated by electron backscatter diffraction and found to be consistent. This work provides valuable information for non-destructive characterization of bulk materials by performing Bragg edge imaging using the Hokkaido University compact accelerator neutron source.