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A well-characterized residual stress distribution resulting from four-point bending has been analysed using the neutron diraction technique. Residual stresses were obtained from the strains measured at discrete positions through the bent bar on the (111) and (311) crystal planes of a nickel-based alloy using the appropriate diraction elastic constants. In addition a pro®le re®nement method was used to determine the residual stresses from average strains from all the diraction peaks in the spectrum. The measured residual stress pro®les have also been compared with strain gauge data and with analytical and ®nite element predictions. It has been established that the pro®le re®nement approach gives stresses which most closely match those obtained by the non-diraction techniques.

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The increasing awareness amongst engineers and designers, of the significance of residual stresses in influencing the useful lifetimes ofengineering components, has resulted in more demanding expectations being placed on the methods used to obtain these stresses. The neutron diffraction technique is emerging as the most attractive measuring method as the residual stresses can usually be obtained non-destructively to depths of up to 40 mm in some common engineering materials. Although it is a relatively new technique it has been used to measure the residual stresses in a range of engineering materials introduced by a wide variety of manufacturing processes such as welding, quenching, machining, shot peening, cold hole expansion and autofrettage.In this paper the neutron diffraction technique for non-destructive residual stress measurements will be described including methods used to validate the measurements. Precautions that should be taken in order to obtain reliable measurements are outlined. Procedures being investigated in order to produce a code of practice will be presented.A representative selection of stress distributions developed by a range of manufacturing processes is examined. Some comparisons are made with strain gauge, X-ray and numerical predictions. It is shown how the results can be of benefit in engineering stress analysis.