Texture analysis at neutron diffractometer STRESS-SPEC

Abstract

In response to the development of new materials and the application of materials and components in advanced technologies, non-destructive measurement methods of textures and residual stresses have gained worldwide significance in recent years. The materials science neutron diffractometer STRESS-SPEC at FRM II (Garching, Germany) is designed to be applied equally to texture and residual stress analyses by virtue of its very flexible configuration. Due to the high penetration capabilities of neutrons and the high neutron flux of STRESS-SPEC it allows a combined analysis of global texture, local texture, strain pole figure and FWHM pole figure in a wide varity of materials including metals, alloys, composites, ceramics and geological materials. Especially, the analysis of texture gradients in bulk materials using neutron diffraction has advantages over laboratory X-rays and EBSD for many scientific cases. Moreover, neutron diffraction is favourable for coarse grained materials, where bulk information averaged over texture inhomogeneities is needed, and also stands out due to easy sample preparation. In future, the newly developed robot system for STRESS-SPEC will allow much more flexibility than an Eulerian cradle as on standard instruments. Five recent measurements are shown to demonstrate the wide range of possible texture applications at STRESS-SPEC diffractometer.

Hardening mechanism of commercially pure Mg processed by high pressure torsion at room temperature

“…Pole figures at three positions of the slice, e.g. centre, middle and edge, were measured using the automatic robot system at STRESS-SPEC [34], as shown in Fig. 2 (b) together with the definition of the sample coordinate system.…”

Combined caloric effects in a multiferroic Ni–Mn–Ga alloy with broad refrigeration temperature region

“…An in situ neutron measurement performed on the materials science diffractometer STRESS-SPEC operated by FRM II and HZG at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum, Garching, Germany. 18 Compressive and eC tests were conducted on a testing machine (UTM5105, SUN). Further experimental details can be found in the supplementary material.…”

Crystallographic textures

“…STRESS-SPEC diffractometer at FRM-II (Munich) [30] is equipped with three different monochromators (Ge(511), bent Si(400) and PG(002)), and the take-off angle can be continuously varied from 2 m = 35 • to 110 • , allowing to use wavelengths between 1 Å and 2.4 Å: a compromise between resolution and intensity can thus be found for each problem. A full circle Eulerian cradle is available for "light" samples, as well as a 1/4 circle cradle, for heavy samples.…”