EBSD and ECCI based assessments of inhomogeneous plastic strain evolution coupled with digital image correlation

Synopsis: We measured local grain orientation gradient and dislocation density by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurement and electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) to obtain strain maps near a stress concentration source in a pure nickel as a FCC model specimen. In particular, we obtained relationship among grain orientation spread (GOS), dislocation density, and equivalent plastic strain on the specimen surface, which were obtained by EBSD, ECCI, and digital image correlation (DIC), respectively. After obtaining GOS-strain and dislocation density-strain relations, the strain distribution in the specimen interior was also determined by measuring the GOS and dislocation density. Both of the GOS and dislocation density showed a linear correlation, and the dislocation density-strain relation showed a relatively small deviation.