Orientation Stereology—A New Branch in Texture Research

A microstructure function, G(x), is introduced as a general description of microstructure by considering simultaneously the spatial arrangement of phases, i(x), of crystallographic orientations, g(x), as well as of lattice defects and residual stress, D(x). Particular emphasis is laid on the orientation–location distribution function, g(x), which is the quantification of orientation stereology. From this function the classical texture as well as the classical (grain) stereology can be derived (but not vice versa). Recently new techniques of diffraction scanning electron microscopy have been developed for the acquisition of g(x) with the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).