Characterization of voids in shock-loaded Al single crystal by combining X-ray tomography and electron microscopy

A combination of X-ray tomography and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was applied to investigate both the shape of voids and the plastic deformation around voids in an Al single crystal shock-loaded in the direction. The combination of these two techniques allows the addition of crystallographic information to X-ray tomography and allows the addition of three-dimensional information to EBSD data. It is found that the voids are octahedral with {1 1 1} faces and that regular patterns of lattice reorientation exist around individual voids. The results provide new insights to the process of void growth during shock loading, which is important for both civil and military applications.