Linking experimental characterization and computational modeling of grain growth in Al-foil

Experimental results on grain boundary properties and grain growth obtained using the Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) technique are compared with the Finite Element simulation results of an Al-foil with a columnar grain structure. The starting microstructure and grain boundary properties are implemented as an input for the three-dimensional grain growth simulation. In the computational model, minimization of the interface energy is the driving force for the grain boundary motion. The computed evolved microstructure is compared with the final experimental microstructure, after annealing at 550degreesC. Good agreement is observed between the experimentally obtained microstructure and the simulated microstructure. The constitutive description of the grain boundary properties was based on a 1-parameter characterization of the variation in mobility with misorientation angle.