Effect of plastic deformation on the Σ2 grain boundary plane distribution in WC–Co cemented carbides

•GBPDs for Σ2 boundaries are measured by the five parameter analysis method.•Σ2 orientations are altered more than the misorientation during plastic deformation.•A dislocation model is proposed from the boundary plane orientation texture study.

Grain boundary plane distributions have been measured for Σ2 grain boundaries (boundaries that have a 90 degree rotation about the [10-10] axis) in undeformed and plastically deformed WC–Co cemented carbides. By virtue of electron backscattered diffraction data coupled with the five parameter analysis method, the measurements show that while the misorientations of the Σ2 boundaries are 20% reduced by the plastic deformation, there are 33% reduction in the orientation of the Σ2 twist grain boundary plane. A dislocation model for grain boundary plane reorientation during plastic deformation is proposed.