Phase analysis on dual-phase steel using band slope of electron backscatter diffraction pattern.

A quantitative and automated phase analysis of dual-phase (DP) steel using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was attempted. A ferrite-martensite DP microstructure was produced by intercritical annealing and quenching. An EBSD map of the microstructure was obtained and post-processed for phase discrimination. Band slope (BS), which was a measure of pattern quality, exhibited much stronger phase contrast than another conventional one, band contrast. Owing to high sensitivity to lattice defect and little orientation dependence, BS provided handiness in finding a threshold for phase discrimination. Its grain average gave a superior result on the discrimination and volume fraction measurement of the constituent phases in the DP steel.