3D grain structure of an extruded 6061 Al alloy by lab-scale X-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT)

In this work, lab-scale X-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) was conducted to investigate the 3D grain structure of α-Al in an extruded 6061 Al alloy. The morphological statistics of α-Al grains and the crystallographic characteristics including grain orientation, misorientation, and grain boundary plane orientation were analyzed. Grain boundary plane distributions of all grain boundaries or grain boundaries with specific misorientations were also revealed. A thorough understanding of the crystallographic characteristics of 6061 Al alloy is key to unlocking a more robust understanding of material performance. •3D orientation maps of grains and GBs in 6061 Al were analyzed by x-ray diffraction contrast tomography (DCT).•Grain boundary (GB) character, including misorientation and GB plane orientation were thoroughly analyzed.•Grain boundaries ended at {001} plane are more frequently observed for the fiber texture.•Grain boundary plane distributions of GBs with specific misorientations (CSL GBs) were thoroughly revealed.