Computer Controlled X-Ray Diffraction Measurement of Residual Stress

Abstract

AbstractThe system to be described includes hardware and software for the on-line computer control of the X-ray diffraction measurement of residual stress. This determination involves accurately measuring the angles at which a back-reflection line is diffracted, first by diffracting planes parallel to the sample surface, and then by planes at an angle (ψ) to the sample surface. The residual stress is calculated from the difference in the two measured diffraetion angles. The procedure executed by the computer consists of locating the peaks, selecting three angles for collection of X-ray counts, correcting the measured counts, fitting the equi-angular intensity measurements to a three-point parabola, calculating the peak angles, calculating the residual stress from the measured angles and typing a report. This automation has eliminated the tedium of the manual X-ray data accumulation and of the residual stress calculation. The online control has also permitted improvements in the technique not practicable with the manually performed measurement of residual stress.