Advanced processing of EBSD data to distinguish the complex microstructure evolution of a Cu-Ni-Si alloy induced by fatigue

The present work aims at identifying the evolution of the microstructure of a Cu-Ni-Si (Corson alloy) alloy after low cycle fatigue by means of advanced electron microscopy analysis techniques (SEM-ECCI, Orientation Imaging Microscopy by means of SEM-EBSD and TEM). Deep attention is paid on the material subjected to high cyclic strains where a transient cellular dislocation structure transformed into precipitate free bands. It is shown that the formation of dislocation cells leads to a high GROD and high GOSaera value and its standard deviation. However, the presence of precipitate free bands results in the low GOSarea level and its low standard deviation. •Microstructure investigation of the fatigue behaviour of a Cu-Ni-Si alloy•Use of ECCI and EBSD to investigate the microstructure evolution related to fatigue dislocations structures•Characterisation of local plastic accommodation through EBSD misorientation criteria