title: Size distribution and volume fraction of T(1) phase precipitates from TEM images: Direct measurements and related correction.
abstract: Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) can be used to measure the size distribution and volume fraction of fine scale precipitates in metallic systems. However, such measurements suffer from a number of artefacts that need to be accounted for, related to the finite thickness of the TEM foil and to the projected observation in two dimensions of the microstructure. We present a correction procedure to describe the 3D distribution of disc-like particles and apply this method to the plate-like T1 precipitates in an Al-Li-Cu alloy in two ageing conditions showing different particle morphologies. The precipitates were imaged in a High-Angular Annular Dark Field Microscope (HAADF-STEM). The corrected size distribution is further used to determine the precipitate volume fraction. Atom probe tomography (APT) is finally utilised as an alternative way to measure the precipitate volume fraction and test the validity of the electron microscopy results.
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3217, Australia; Constellium C-Tec, Voreppe, BP 27, 38341 Voreppe, Cedex, France. Electronic address: thomas.dorin@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dorin
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Donnadieu
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chaix
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Physique des Materiaux - CNRS - University of Rouen, 76 801 St Etienne du Rouvray Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Williams
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric De
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Geuser
authors.affiliation: Univ Grenoble Alpes, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS, SIMAP, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deschamps
keywords: Atom probe tomography; Correction method; High angle dark field imaging; Precipitates