Characterization of Lightweight Structural Materials for Automotive Applications Using EBSD

The development and integration of improved lightweight structural materials is a critical component in the roadmap to improving automotive fuel efficiency. Advanced steel, aluminum and magnesium alloys are all materials being developed for specific automotive applications to meet performance and safety requirements. In these materials the microstructure determines the final material properties. Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) is a SEM-based characterization tool that is well suited for characterizing the microstructure of these metallic alloys and provides the information necessary for engineers to develop lightweight materials for automotive applications.

In this presentation examples of EBSD microstructural characterization on steel, aluminum and magnesium alloys are given to show the type of information that can be obtained by using EBSD.