EBSD for analysing the twinning microstructure in fine-grained TWIP steels and its influence on work hardening

P>A 22 Mn-0.6 C twinning induced plasticity steel with an average grain size of 2.6 mu m was deformed in tension at room temperature. The electron backscattered diffraction technique was used to characterize the twinning structure in relation with the local texture evolution. For nanoscale analysis, additional transmission electron microscopy analysis was performed. Nanotwins were activated in the largest grains from the beginning of the deformation. They interacted with a well-developed dislocation structure that induced detectable intragranular orientation variations. With increasing deformation, dense bundles of nanotwins preferentially developed in grains oriented close to the < 111 >//tensile direction fibre (promoted by the deformation) as well as medium to high angle sub-boundaries. These key features of the twinned microstructure were finally related to the remarkably high strain hardening, which evolved according to different stages.