Determination of Residual Stress from Two-Dimensional Diffraction Patterns

Abstract

The need for a reliable nondestructive technique for measuring residual stress, especially for field applications, is emphasized by the number of physical properties and effects which have been investigated as possible indications of residual stress. Most of these properties and effects correlate well with stress, but depend strongly on the microstructure of the material and require, to be useful, a good characterization of the material. Of the methods used for determining residual stress, x-ray diffraction has some distinct advantages. It is reliable and it has been long established. One limitation of the technique is that it provides surface stress measurements only, however this limitation is largely offset by the present capabilities of correlating, through calculations, the surface stresses to the bulk stresses.