Stress Spec: Advanced Materials Science at the FRM-II

Abstract

The measurement and analysis of residual stresses has gained significant importance over the past couple of years due to the increasing demands in improving the properties of new engineering materials and components. The ability to measure these residual stresses accurately will thus lead to the manufacture of stronger, lighter, and cheaper components by industry. The drive to optimize material performance whilst minimizing component weight will ensure that this field continues to grow. Experimentally, non-destructive analysis of phase-specific residual stresses is only possible by means of diffraction methods. While X-ray scattering is essentially a surface method, the high penetration depth of neutrons into the bulk material (e.g., 20 mm into steel or 100 mm into aluminium) allows extracting reliable information from the inside of components.