Origins Texture (crystalline)

scan of sectioned, forged connecting rod has been etched show grain flow.

in wire , fiber, crystals tend have identical orientation in axial direction, random radial orientation. familiar exceptions rule fiberglass, has no crystal structure, , carbon fiber, in crystalline anisotropy great good-quality filament distorted single crystal approximately cylindrical symmetry (often compared jelly roll). single-crystal fibers not uncommon.

the making of metal sheet involves compression in 1 direction and, in efficient rolling operations, tension in another, can orient crystallites in both axes process known grain flow. however, cold work destroys of crystalline order, , new crystallites arise annealing have different texture. control of texture extremely important in making of silicon steel sheet transformer cores (to reduce magnetic hysteresis) , of aluminium cans (since deep drawing requires extreme , relatively uniform plasticity).

texture in ceramics arises because crystallites in slurry have shapes depend on crystalline orientation, needle- or plate-shaped. these particles align water leaves slurry, or clay formed.

casting or other fluid-to-solid transitions (i.e., thin-film deposition) produce textured solids when there enough time , activation energy atoms find places in existing crystals, rather condensing amorphous solid or starting new crystals of random orientation. facets of crystal (often close-packed planes) grow more rapidly others, , crystallites 1 of these planes faces in direction of growth out-compete crystals in other orientations. in extreme, 1 crystal survive after length: exploited in czochralski process (unless seed crystal used) , in casting of turbine blades , other creep-sensitive parts.