Electron backscatter diffraction: a powerful technique for materials characterization

机械和工业工程系的扫描电子显微镜（SEM）设施为整个瑞尔森研究社区提供服务。自2006年安装至2012年9月30日，它已被10个部门的52个研究小组和241名博士生和硕士生广泛使用（详细信息可应要求提供）。基于SEM的电子背散射衍射（EBSD）技术能够提供高分辨率的结构、相分布、晶界取向差、微观织构、晶内变形和三维相态等详细信息，是当今材料微观表征的最有力的技术之一。EBSD与我们维护良好的SEM相结合，是培训高素质人员（HQP）和研究与材料表征相关的各种领域的关键工具，涉及10个部门：航空航天工程，化学工程，化学和生物学，土木工程，电气和计算机工程，图形通信管理，图像艺术，机械和工业工程，营养学，和物理学。瑞尔森大学缺乏EBSD是我们HQP培训和研究的主要障碍。教师和研究生被迫在其他大学使用EBSD，要么不得不长途跋涉，要么支付高昂的费用，由于其他大学自己的研究人员和研究生的大量需求，一些重要的考试经常被推迟或错过详细的信息。这对我们的研究生来说是浪费时间和挫折。因此，正在向NSERC申请RTI赠款，为瑞尔森研究社区购买EBSD系统。EBSD的操作和维护由我们目前的SEM技术人员提供。申请人和所有共同申请人每年还将为EBSD和SEM的运营和维护提供高达2，000美元（总计16，000美元/年）的资金。所要求的EBSD将大大提高我们在研究和HQP培训方面的质量和生产力，并将时间和金钱从旅行转向研究活动。

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) facility in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering serves the entire Ryerson research community. It has been extensively used by 52 research groups in 10 Departments and 241 PhD and master's students and PDFs since its installation in 2006 up to September 30, 2012 (details are available upon request). The SEM-based electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) has emerged today as one of the most powerful techniques for materials characterization on the microscopic scale, since it is capable of providing detailed information on the structure, phase distribution, grain boundary misorientation, microtexture, intra-granular deformation, and three-dimensional phase view with a high resolution. The EBSD coupled with our well-maintained SEM is a key tool for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) and research in a wide variety of areas associated with materials characterization, which involves 10 Departments: Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biology, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Graphic Communications Management, Image Arts, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Nutrition, and Physics. The lack of EBSD at Ryerson University is a major obstacle to our HQP training and research. Faculty members and graduate students have been forced to use EBSD at other universities, either having to travel long distances or paying high rates, with some critical examinations frequently delayed or detailed information missed due to the heavy demands by other university's own researchers and graduate students. This results in a waste of time and frustration for our graduate students. Therefore, a request is being made to NSERC for a RTI grant to purchase an EBSD system for the Ryerson research community. The operation and maintenance of the EBSD are available by our current SEM technician. The applicant and all co-applicants will also contribute up to $2,000 per year (totally $16,000/year) to the operation and maintenance of EBSD and SEM. The requested EBSD will significantly enhance our quality and productivity in both research and HQP training, and redirect time and money from travel to research activities.