Nanoscale visualization of high-angle misorientations in quartz-rich rocks using SEM-EBSD and Atomic Force Microscopy

Date

2024

Authors

Dey, S.
Chatterjee, S.
Ritanjali, S.R.
Dobe, R.
Mukherjee, R.
Mandal, S.
Gupta, S.

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Journal of Structural Geology, 2024; 183:105146-1-105146-16

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Soham Dey, Sandro Chatterjee, Sushree Ritu Ritanjali, Ritabrata Dobe, Rabibrata Mukherjee, Sumantra Mandal, Saibal Gupta

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Abstract

High-angle misorientations can significantly influence material properties. In this study, optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope-Electron Backscatter Diffraction (SEM-EBSD), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) have been used to investigate high-angle misorientations in quartz-bearing crustal rocks. Thin sections of high-grade quartzofeldspathic rocks were subjected to chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) with colloidal silica. In quartz, high-angle misorientations like random high angle grain boundaries (RHAGBs) and Dauphin´e twin boundaries (DTBs) could be discriminated using EBSD techniques but not optical microscopy. In nanoscale AFM images, indented channels are observed along RHAGBs but not DTBs; these result from material removal during CMP, indicating lower compactness of RHAGBs compared to DTBs. Along any RHAGB, EBSD reveals different misorientations across segments between consecutive RHAGB-DTB intersections. Grains adjacent to these RHAGB segments have angles between their c-axes varying from 61-66◦ with parallel {1012} planes, and 81–84◦ with parallel {1122} planes, respectively. These symmetries represent the Japan and Sardinian twin laws of quartz, indicating that the RHAGB segments become low-energy twin boundaries, thereby reducing the overall surface energy of the aggregate. Finally, these results suggest that apart from surface topography quantification and high-resolution nanoscale imaging, AFM in conjunction with SEM-EBSD can be used for precisely locating sites for TEM study.

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© 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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