Investigation of orientation relationships by EBSD and EDS on the example of the Watson iron meteorite

Abstract

The suitability of the electron back-scatter diffraction technique (supported by EDS) in order to study the complex microstructures of iron meteorites is demonstrated on the example of the Watson meteorite. The orientation relationships between the main phases kamacite, taenite and schreibersite/rhabdite as well as effects of the real structure have been investigated. In kamacite bands highly deformed blocks appear which show a contineous change of orientation. Plessitic regions are surrounded by deformed taenite lamellae. Also these lamellae show the typical M-profile of the Ni concentration in cross section. In the center a martensitic microstructure has been proven. The white plessite is characterized by a high number of individual kamacite grains which however are separated mainly by low-angle boundaries. So an orientation clustering occurs. The determination of orientation relationships was only possible for a single plessite region comparing the intensity distribution in pole figures with simulations. Schreibersite is brittle and shows a high number of microcracks. However, the strong deformation of kamacite does not allow us to decide whether an orientation relationship between the phosphides and the surrounding kamacite exists or not. © 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.