Despite decades of research, fundamental questions still exist regarding the role of microtexture on the deformation, fatigue, and fracture behavior of titanium alloys. This article describes the microstructural evolution processes that result in microtexture formation, while Part II of this series will further elaborate on the effects of microtexture on deformation behavior.

An investigation into the chemistry and type of tungsten carbide powder used for drill bits has yielded a material with improved transverse rupture strength and interesting microstructural response to thermal cycling.

This article series explores the indispensable role of characterization in the development of cold spray coatings. Transmission electron microscopy is used to understand powder characteristics, cold spray coating deformation behavior both within splats as well as near the coating-substrate interface, phase transformations in the as-sprayed and heat treated conditions, phase equilibria of the coating under the operating conditions pertaining to the application of the coating, the coating recovery mechanism, and the thermal stability of the coating.

Because the nature of grain size distribution can influence mechanical properties and service behavior, it is important to accurately characterize this parameter. This article demonstrates how to evaluate grain size distribution, which can be done using either grain area or intercept-length measurements.

This article describes research at Los Alamos National Laboratory that is aimed at building a coupled experimental and computational methodology that supports the development of predictive damage capabilities by: (1) capturing real distributions of microstructural features from real material and implementing them as digitally generated microstructures in damage model development, and (2) distilling structure-property information to link microstructural details to damage evolution under a multitude of loading states.

This work shows how metallographic analysis combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy helped investigators determine the basic processing techniques used in a circa 1910 silver-plated brass trombone, specifically, the joint between the mouthpiece receiver and a brace. This entry won the 2011 International Metallographic Contest sponsored by the International Metallographic Society.