Fig. 2. Microstructural analysis of 3D-printed 1080 steels.

a X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra. b–d 3D stereographic electron backscattered diffraction inverse pole figure (EBSD-IPF) maps of samples fabricated with energy inputs of (b) 69 J/mm³, (c) 93 J/mm³, and (d) 114 J/mm³, with coordinate system showing the plane orientations (Z-axis refers to building direction). e−g Grain Average Band Contrast maps, retrieved from b−d, respectively. The color scales represent the band contrast (BC) values. h Focused-ion-beam lift-out specimen at the marked area in (e). i Bright-field transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrograph of the marked areas in (h), with the white-dashed line delineating the α’-block with high BC value and labels B and M representing bainitic and martensitic α’-laths, respectively. j, m Higher magnified TEM images of the areas marked in (i), taken close to the ${\left[011\right]}_{{\alpha }^{\prime }}$ zone axis. k, n The diffraction patterns of (j) and (m), respectively, taken close to the ${\left[011\right]}_{{\alpha }^{\prime }}$ axis. l, o Dark-field TEM images taken from the diffraction spots marked in (k) and (n), respectively. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.