Crystallographic orientation mapping of minimally prepared large nonplanar surfaces

Inspection of microstructure, including crystallographic orientation of components made from titanium alloys and nickel based superalloys is an essential part of quality control of aerospace propulsion and structural components.  The rapid, cost-effective evaluation of these materials for local heterogeneities, such as microtexture, is desired to inform performance and lifing models. It will be of particular advantage to be able to inspect surfaces of components that are non-planar and exhibit curvature in one or more directions. Such characterization is not possible using conventional techniques, such as EBSD, nor is in-situ inspection at the component scale without destructive sectioning. The goal of this work is to build on the techniques demonstrated in Phase I to demonstrate a prototype system capable of characterization of local crystallographic orientation and microstructure at the component scale to address challenges of particular Navy interest.