Advanced neutron diffraction techniques for strain measurements in polycrystalline materials

Determination and mitigation of the uncertainty of neutron diffraction measurements of residual strain in large-grained polycrystalline material

For large-grained samples it is advantageous to perform pairs of neutron diffraction measurements at the same spatial location but rotated 180° around the geometric centre of the gauge volume as a means of minimizing the scatter coming from the random positioning of grains within the gauge volume.

Time-resolved x-ray diffraction techniques for bulk polycrystalline materials under dynamic loading.

We have developed two techniques for time-resolved x-ray diffraction from bulk polycrystalline materials during dynamic loading. In the first technique, we synchronize a fast detector with loading of samples at strain rates of ~10(3)-10(4) s(-1) in a compression Kolsky bar (split Hopkinson pressure bar) apparatus to obtain in situ diffraction patterns with exposures as short as 70 ns. This appr...

Neutron diffraction residual strain measurements in nanostructured hydroxyapatite coatings for orthopaedic implants.

The failure of an orthopaedic implant can be initiated by residual strain inherent to the hydroxyapatite coating (HAC). Knowledge of the through-thickness residual strain profile in the thermally sprayed hydroxyapatite coating/substrate system is therefore important in the development of a new generation of orthopaedic implants. As the coating microstructure is complex, non-destructive characte...

The comparison between simple and advanced shielding materials for the shield of portable neutron sources

Background: Monte Carlo simulations play a vital role in the calculation of the necessary shielding both for neutrons and photons. Advanced and simple shielding materials against neutron and gamma rays were compared by simulation using the MCNB4B Monte Carlo code. The simulations were carried out for the three common neutron sources, namely the 252Cf, the 241Am/Be and the DD neutron generator w...

Characterization of polycrystalline materials using synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction techniques