Crystallographic texture and orientation variants in Al2O3-Y3Al5O12 directionally solidified eutectic crystals

Eutectic rods of Al2O3 and Y3Al5O12 were grown by a laser-heated float zone method, and their microstructure and crystallographic texture were studied by scanning electron microscopy, electron-backscattered diffraction and X-ray diffraction. The composites were found to be highly textured with two twin-related crystallographic orientation relationships between the phases. Electron-backscattered diffraction was employed to determine the spatial distribution of the orientational variants within the samples and to define the crystallographic orientation of various microstructural features. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.