Random thoughts on non-random misorientation distributions

Automated electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) or orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) has become a common analytical tool for the statistical characterisation of grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials. However, as such studies have become more tractable with the advances in EBSD technology some critical complexities of grain boundary analysis have been neglected. This includes the multidimensionality of grain boundaries, correlated versus uncorrelated misorientation distributions, OIM scanning artefacts specifically critical to boundary analysis. The present work describes some of these shortfalls as well as approaches for mitigating problems in grain boundary analysis via EBSD.