Estimation of 3D grain size distributions from 2D sections in real and simulated microstructures

Journal Article (2025)
Author(s)

Thomas van der van der Jagt (TU Delft - Statistics)

M. Vittorietti (TU Delft - Statistics)

Karo Sedighiani (Tata Steel)

C. Bos (TU Delft - Team Erik Offerman, Tata Steel)

G. Jongbloed (TU Delft - Statistics)

Research Group
Statistics
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2025.113949
More Info
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Publication Year
2025
Language
English
Research Group
Statistics
Volume number
256
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Abstract

Obtaining information about the 3D grain size distribution of metallic microstructures is crucial for understanding the mechanical behavior of metals. This paper addresses the problem of estimating the 3D grain size distribution from 2D cross sections. This is a well-known stereological problem and different estimators have been proposed in the literature. We propose a statistical estimation procedure that provides consistent estimates without relying on arbitrary binning choices. When applying this procedure to space filling structures, we investigate the impact of the choice of grain shape and propose a heuristic to choose the best grain shape. To validate our approach, we employ simulations using Laguerre–Voronoi diagrams and apply our methodology to a sample of Interstitial-Free steel, obtained via EBSD.