Crystal Research and Technology
Cryst. Res. Technol. 40, 791 (2005) - Abstract -

Investigation of orientation relationships by EBSD and EDS on the example of the Watson iron meteorite

G. Nolze, V. Geist*, R. Saliwan Neumann, and M. Buchheim

Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany
*Institute for Mineralogy, Crystallography and Materials Science, University Leipzig, Scharnhorststr. 20, 04275 Leipzig, Germany

Keywords iron meteorite, Watson iron, Widmanstätten figures, orientation relationship, EBSD, kamacite, taenite, schreibersite, plessite
PACS 96.50.Mt, 81.05Bx, 61.50.Ks, 61.66.Dk, 81.30.Mh
DOI 10.1002/crat.200410434

The suitability of the electron back-scatter diffraction technique (supported by EDS) in order to study the complex microstructures of iron meteorites is demonstrated on the example of the Watson meteorite. The orientation relationships between the main phases kamacite, taenite and schreibersite/rhabdite as well as effects of the real structure have been investigated. In kamacite bands highly deformed blocks appear which show a contineous change of orientation. Plessitic regions are surrounded by deformed taenite lamellae. Also these lamellae show the typical M-profile of the Ni concentration in cross section. In the center a martensitic microstructure has been proven. The white plessite is characterized by a high number of individual kamacite grains which however are separated mainly by low-angle boundaries. So an orientation clustering occurs. The determination of orientation relationships was only possible for a single plessite region comparing the intensity distribution in pole figures with simulations. Schreibersite is brittle and shows a high number of microcracks. However, the strong deformation of kamacite does not allow us to decide whether an orientation relationship between the phosphides and the surrounding kamacite exists or not.





The full text of this paper in pdf-Format:

If you have come directly to this page, click this symbol to go to the CRT homepage.