Search

Canada’s access to neutron beams for neutron scattering was significantly curtailed in 2018 with the closure of the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Chalk River, Ontario, Canada. New sources are needed for the long-term; otherwise, access will only become harder as the global supply shrinks. Compact Accelerator-based Neutron Sources (CANS) offer the possibility of an intense source of neutrons with a capital cost significantly lower than spallation sources. In this paper, we propose a CANS for Canada. The proposal is staged with the first stage offering a medium neutron flux, linear accelerator-based approach for neutron scattering that is also coupled with a boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) station and a positron emission tomography (PET) isotope production station. The first stage will serve as a prototype for a second stage: a higher brightness, higher cost facility that could be viewed as a national centre for neutron applications.

The additive manufacturing (AM) process metal powder bed fusion (PBF) can quickly produce complex parts with mechanical properties comparable to that of wrought materials. However, thermal stress accumulated during Metal PBF may induce part distortion and even cause failure of the entire process. This manuscript is the second part of two companion manuscripts that collectively present a part-scale simulation method for fast prediction of thermal distortion in Metal PBF. The first part provides a fast prediction of the temperature history in the part via a thermal circuit network (TCN) model. This second part uses the temperature history from the TCN to inform a model of thermal distortion using a quasi-static thermo-mechanical model (QTM). The QTM model distinguished two periods of Metal PBF, the thermal loading period and the stress relaxation period. In the thermal loading period, the layer-by-layer build cycles of Metal PBF are simulated, and the thermal stress accumulated in the build process is predicted. In the stress relaxation period, the removal of parts from the substrate is simulated, and the off-substrate part distortion and residual stress are predicted. Validation of part distortion predicted by the QTM model against both experiment and data in literature showed a relative error less than 20%. This QTM, together with the TCN, offers a framework for rapid, part-scale simulations of Metal PBF that can be used to optimize the build process and parameters.

As part of a global initiative to reduce the usage of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel for research and test reactors, Al-clad U-7Mo/Mg and U-10Mo/Mg pin-type mini-elements with a low-enriched uranium (U-235 enrichment of 19.75 wt%) loading of 4.5 g U/cm3 were fabricated at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). The mini-elements were irradiated in the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor at maximum linear power ratings of 100 kW/m up to 80 at% U-235 burnup. Hot cell macroscopic examination of the discharged fuel elements at 30, 60 and 80 at% U-235 burnup indicated that they were intact without breakaway swelling or fuel cladding failure. The results of interim post-irradiation examination (PIE) that was conducted on mini-elements discharged at 30 at% U-235 burnup are reported in this paper. A follow-up paper will present the PIE results of the mini-elements that achieved burnups of 60 and 80 at% U-235. In the present study, the microstructure and phase composition of the irradiated U-7Mo/Mg and U-10Mo/Mg fuel cores were investigated using optical microscopy and neutron diffraction analysis. The weight fraction of different crystalline phases in U-7Mo/Mg and U-10Mo/Mg fuel cores at low burnup was determined through Rietveld refinement. This paper includes a description of the irradiation tests along with preliminary PIE results from the irradiated U-Mo/Mg mini-elements and describes the results of optical microscopy characterization and neutron diffraction analysis.

Disk-shaped 316L stainless steel parts with various diameters and heights were additively manufactured using a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technique. Neutron diffraction was used to profile the residual stresses in the samples before and after removal of the build plate and support structures. Moreover, distortion level of the parts before and after the removal was quantified using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Large tensile in-plane stresses (up to ≈ 400 MPa) were measured near the as-built disk top surfaces, where the stress magnitude decreased from the disk center to the edges. The stress gradient was steeper for the disks with smaller diameters and heights. Following the removal of the build plate and support structures, the magnitude of the in-plane residual stresses decreased dramatically (up to 330 MPa) whereas the axial stress magnitude did not change significantly. The stress relaxation caused the disks to distort, where the distortion metric was higher for the disks with smaller diameters and heights. The distribution of the residual stresses revealed a marked breakdown of self-similarity in their distribution even comparing disk-shaped samples that were fabricated under identical printing parameters; the stress field profiles were not linearly scaled as a function of height and diameter.

A neutron counting (NC) technique for in-beam active neutron interrogation has been developed and deployed at the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL). A distinguishing feature of the method is that the sample to be interrogated remains stationary during the irradiation and counting periods for the detection of prompt and delayed neutrons. The NC system permits measurements of prompt and delayed neutrons using a mono-energetic or broad-spectrum (white) thermal neutron beam. An MCNPX computational study of an NC system employing nine 3He tubes showed that a delayed neutron detection efficiency of 22% could be achieved. The presence of a sub-milligram mass of 235U could be revealed in less than ten minutes in the in-beam delayed neutron experiment incorporating a white thermal neutron beam. The technique readily differentiated between 235U and 233U isotopes by analysis of delayed neutron count rates. The lower flux of the in-beam DN experiment does not permit the trace analysis that is possible with in-core irradiation, but does permit non-destructive analysis of large samples and could prove invaluable for the initial survey of materials of unknown content and origin. The study also demonstrated that in-beam prompt neutron analysis could be the ultimate solution when the neutron source is weak, the sample is shielded, the fissile mass is small, or interrogation time is limited. Detection time was reduced to a few seconds in the examination of prompt neutrons either in single or coincidence method. This paper presents the application of an in-beam NC system using a mono-energetic and white thermal neutron beam at the NRU reactor and assesses the performance of a newly constructed portable NC system with a large neutron detection array.

A delayed neutron counting (DNC) system, where the sample to be analyzed remains stationary in a thermal neutron beam outside of the reactor, has been developed at the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) at Chalk River. The new in-beam DNC is a novel approach for non-destructive characterization of special nuclear materials (SNM) that could enable identification and quantification of fissile isotopes within a large and shielded sample. Despite the orders of magnitude reduction in neutron flux, the in-beam DNC method can be as informative as the conventional in-core DNC for most cases while offering practical advantages and mitigated risk when dealing with large radioactive samples of unknown origin. This paper addresses (1) the qualification of in-beam DNC using a monochromatic thermal neutron beam in conjunction with a proven counting apparatus designed originally for in-core DNC, and (2) application of in-beam DNC to an examination of large sealed capsules containing unknown radioactive materials. Initial results showed that the in-beam DNC setup permits non-destructive analysis of bulky and gamma shielded samples. The method does not lend itself to trace analysis, and at best could only reveal the presence of a few milligrams of 235U via the assay of in-beam DNC total counts. Through analysis of DNC count rates, the technique could be used in combination with other neutron or gamma techniques to quantify isotopes present within samples.

Residual stresses are present in welded stiffened steel plates that are used to construct ships and other offshore structures. These locked-in stresses can exceed the yield stress of the parent plate material. Interruptions due to stop and restart in the welding process in these structures cannot be eliminated completely. It is suspected that weld interruptions are detrimental, though the effect of an interruption on the residual stress distribution is not well understood. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the change in the residual stresses due to various stop durations in the weld process. The stop time varied from 10 to 60 seconds and the resulting stresses were compared with those observed when the weld is not interrupted. Neutron diffraction was used to determine the residual stresses. The study revealed that, compared to the residual stresses observed for a continuous weld, immediately before the stop location there is a decrease in the resulting residual stresses which is balanced by a ...

Found unknown radioactive material is often contained in a package so the chemical and physical form of the material itself is unknown, and the detail of the packaging is likewise unknown. Together, these present a significant risk on how to handle the package for destructive examination of its contents. Whether of nefarious origin or the result of less stringent practices of yesteryear the material needs to be properly identified and characterized for appropriate disposition. Results of neutron imaging, neutron diffraction, and delayed neutron analysis as applied to an examination of sealed capsules containing unknown radioactive materials are presented. The results demonstrate that neutron-based non-destructive examination techniques can be employed for inspecting encapsulated radioactive samples to identify the materials, to elucidate the internal physical structure of the radioactive material and encapsulation, and to estimate the mass of fissile and fissionable materials within. This characterization of orphaned radioactive special nuclear material illustrates the potential for these techniques in nuclear forensics investigations.

Temperature-dependent thermal neutron differential scattering cross sections for heavy water (D2O) were measured using a triple-axis spectrometer at the National Research Universal reactor located in Chalk River, Canada. The measurements were performed at temperatures from 22 to 85 °C and at atmospheric pressure, with incident neutron energies from 16 to 44 meV and scattering angles from 10 to 110°. The temperature range in the measurements covered the common D2O moderator conditions (65–70 °C and 1 atm pressure) in pressurized heavy-water reactors. The measured results were compared with the D2O data libraries from the ENDF/B-VII.1 evaluation and the recently released ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluation. The experimental results indicate significant improvements in the new release compared to the previous ENDF/B-VII.1 release.

Weld beads on plate specimens made of type 316L stainless steel were neutron-irradiated up to about 2.5 × 10 25 n/m 2 ( E > 1 MeV) at 561 K in the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR). Residual stresses of the specimens were measured by the neutron diffraction method, and the radiation-induced stress relaxation was evaluated. The values of σ x residual stress (transverse to the weld bead) and σ y residual stress (longitudinal to the weld bead) decreased with increasing neutron dose. The tendency of the stress relaxation was almost the same as previously published data, which were obtained for type 304 stainless steel. From this result, it was considered that there was no steel type dependence on radiation-induced stress relaxation. The neutron irradiation dose dependence of the stress relaxation was examined using an equation derived from the irradiation creep equation. The coefficient of the stress relaxation equation was obtained, and the value was 1.4 (×10 −6 /MPa/dpa). This value was smaller than that of nickel alloy.

Neutron diffraction and electric potential experiments were carried out to investigate the growth behavior of a fatigue crack subjected to a single tensile overload. The specific objectives were to (i) probe the crack tip deformation and fracture behaviors under applied loads; (ii) examine the overload-induced transient crack growth micromechanism; (iii) validate the effective stress intensity factor range based on the crack closure approach as the fatigue crack tip driving force; and (iv) establish a quantitative relationship between the crack tip driving force and crack growth behavior. Immediately after a single tensile overload was introduced and then unloaded, the crack tip became blunt and enlarged compressive residual stresses in both magnitude and zone size were observed around the crack tip. The results show that the combined contributions of the overload-induced enlarged compressive residual stresses and crack tip blunting with secondary cracks are responsible for the observed changes in the crack opening load and the resultant post-overload transient crack growth behavior.

The spatially resolved neutron-diffraction residual stress mappings were performed on five compact-tension (CT) specimens subjected to various variable-amplitude fatigue loadings (e.g. overload, underload and their mixed loads) during fatigue crack propagation. Three principal residual-stress components (i.e. longitudinal, transverse and normal stresses) were measured as a function of the distance from the crack tip along the crack-propagation direction. The shape of respective crack tips on the five CT specimens was examined using scanning electron microscope. The results show the distinct residual-stress fields near the crack tip and significant changes in the crack-tip geometry for five different loading cases. It is thought that the combined effects of the changes in the residual-stress state and crack-tip geometry seem to be a key factor to account for the observed transient crack-growth phenomena.

The rolled joint of a pressure tube, consisting of three axial symmetric parts, modified SUS403 stainless steel as an inner extension, Zr&ndash, 2.5Nb as the pressure tube and an Inconel-718 outer sleeve has been examined by neutron diffraction for residual stresses. It was heat treated to 350 &deg, C for 30, 130 and 635 h to simulate thermal aging over the lifetime of an advanced thermal reactor respectively for 1, 5 and 30 years at an operating temperature of 288 &deg, C. The crystallographic texture has been investigated from cylindric disks cut from the heat treated Zr&ndash, 2.5Nb pressure tube to determine the proper sample-orientation-dependent hkl reflections for reliable residual strain measurements. Corresponding in situ tensile deformation was carried out to obtain the necessary diffraction elastic constants for the residual stress evaluation. Three-dimensional crystal lattice strains at various locations in the rolled joint before and after the aging treatments for various times were non-destructively measured by neutron diffraction and the residual stress distribution in the rolled joint was evaluated by using the Kr&ouml, ner elastic model and the generalized Hooke&rsquo, s law. In the crimp region of the rolled joint, it was found that the aging treatment had a much weaker effect on the residual stresses in the Inconel outer sleeve and the modified SUS403 stainless steel extension. In the non-aged Zr&ndash, 2.5Nb pressure tube, the highest residual stresses were found near its interface with the modified SUS430 stainless steel extension. In the crimp region of the Zr&ndash, 2.5Nb pressure tube near its interface with the modified SUS430 stainless steel, the average compressive axial stress was &minus, 440 MPa, having no evident change during the long-time aging. In the Zr&ndash, 2.5Nb pressure tube outside closest to the crimp region, the tensile axial and hoop stresses were relieved during the 30 h of aging. The hoop stresses in the crimp region evolved from an average tensile stress of 80 MPa to an average compressive stress of 230 MPa after the 635 h of aging, suggesting that the rolled joint had a good long-term sealing ability against leakage of high temperature water. In the Zr&ndash, 2.5Nb pressure tube close to the reactor core and far away from the modified SUS403 stainless steel extension, the residual stresses near the inside surface of the pressure tube were almost zero, helping to keep a good neutron irradiation resistance.

This study was undertaken for a better understanding of the residual stress distributions associated with welds typically found in ship hulls. Specimens that represent small sections of an actual ship hull were built and tested using the neutron diffraction method at the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre in the Chalk River Laboratories. The specimens comprised 9.5 mm thick steel plates stiffened by L127 × 76 × 9.5 steel angles. This paper presents one- and three-dimensional distributions of all three components of residual stress created from the production of the steel plate and from the welding of one and two stiffeners onto the parent steel plate. Subsequently, the longitudinal stress in the transverse direction of the stiffened plate specimens was compared with the Faulkner model. It was found that the Faulkner model is able to predict the general distributions of this stress; however, it was unable to predict the stress values correctly.

This paper provides an in-depth study of residual stress distributions found in stiffened steel plate structures, such as those typically used in ship hulls. The effect of stiffener spacing on the distribution of residual stress components was studied. The welding heat input was also varied between high and moderate to study the effect of heat input level on residual stress distributions. Four specimens, resembling typical stiffened steel plate structures used in ship hulls were built and tested. Steel plates of 9.5 mm thickness were stiffened by welding L127 × 76 × 9.5 steel angles. The test was completed using the neutron diffraction method. The three normal components of residual stress were obtained in this study. It was found that a lower heat input results in higher tensile residual stress and that there exists a critical stiffener spacing somewhere beyond 250 mm that creates a maximum tensile residual stress value near the welded connection.

Neutron diffraction data was collected, showing the strain distributions along radial, axial and hoop directions in a direct chill cast billet of AZ31 magnesium alloy. Strain measurement by neutron diffraction is a non-destructive technique that uses the diffraction of a beam of thermal neurons to determine the atomic spacing within a small gauge volume inside polycrystalline materials. The benefits of using neutrons versus X-rays lie in the increased penetration depth achieved with neutrons, which can allow measurement of the internal strains several centimeters away from the material surface. A data-processing technique was proposed to assess and remove the irregular points, and the point-to-point fluctuations were evaluated. Residual strain measurements on the as-cast billet contribute direct observation of the stress/strain state in the billet. And the results also provide the data necessary to validate a thermo-mechanical model that predicts the evolution of stress/strain during the DC casting and subsequently to investigate the cracking defects in the billets.

The lattice strains in AL6XN stainless steel specimens subjected to in situ biaxial stress states have been measured by neutron diffraction. The biaxial stress states were generated in tubular specimens using a specially designed loading apparatus that is capable of applying axial loads to specimens under internal pressure. Lattice strains in the axial and hoop directions were measured for different levels of stress biaxiality in numerous loaded and partially unloaded states. The results revealed the role of the biaxial stress state in the differences in average lattice strains between various crystallographic fibers. These trends are examined in light of the orientational dependencies of the lattice strains on the stress biaxiality under an assumption of uniform stress. Possible additional factors contributing to the observed trends are discussed.

Internal strains can greatly affect the mechanical performance of Zircaloy-2 and the study of their development provides insight into the operating deformation mechanisms. In this study, neutron diffraction was used to track the development of internal strains in three dimensions in samples cut from a rolled Zircaloy-2 slab. The samples were subjected to room temperature compression or tension in situ in the neutron diffractometer with loading along each of the three principal directions of the slab. The recorded intensity changes for the different crystallographic planes also provided information on the grain reorientations during deformation. Strong evidence was found for tensile twinning in tensile tests in the plate normal direction and in compression tests in the transverse and rolling directions. This provides an extensive data set with which to develop and test models for plastic deformation and texture development in polycrystalline Zircaloy-2.

Titanium-clad copper bus-bars are used to provide corrosion resistance in high temperature electrolytic cells. When cold-formed, such components will have a complex residual stress pattern. We report the investigation of residual stress in a high conductivity Cu bus-bar clad with Grade-2 Ti by neutron diffraction and finite element modelling. Straight bars were co-extruded, air-cooled and cold-stretched. The bars were cold-bent into an inverted ‘top-hat’ shape with four 90° bends. Residual stresses were investigated at the apex of a 90° bend. Three sets of measurements were performed in each of the measurement directions (transverse, normal and axial, relative to the straight bar): one set along the centre line in Cu; one set along the edge in Cu and one set along the edge in Ti. Residual stresses were then calculated in the three directions assuming both materials are elastically isotropic. The cooling, stretching and bending processes were simulated with an explicit finite element program, while the spr...

Comparison of lattice strains in crystals of various orientations is a primary method of validating polycrystal plasticity simulations. These strains can be measured using in situ neutron diffraction experiments while the corresponding information can be extracted from the simulation results. If the single crystal elastic moduli—particularly the anisotropy of the moduli with respect to lattice direction—are not accurately known, simulations cannot provide a favorable comparison to experiments. Previous work simulating deformation of an aluminum alloy with significant magnesium content (AA-5182) revealed that consistency with the experiments required a higher degree of anisotropy in the elastic moduli in the finite element simulations than that typically reported for pure aluminum. We undertook the current research to determine if the magnesium content causes that larger single crystal elastic anisotropy. Using in situ loading, we measured lattice strains and determined diffraction moduli of materials cove...

This investigation provides a quantitative analysis of the effect of Type I residual stresses on the occurrence of pitting and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) formation in pipeline steel exposed to neutral pH aqueous environments. It has been shown that SCC generated in neutral pH environments can be readily blunted due to plastic deformation (room temperature creep) and/or extensive anodic dissolution. As a result, a high positive tensile residual stress gradient is necessary for continued growth of SCC in pipeline steels exposed to this neutral pH environment. The tensile residual stress represents a large mechanical driving force for crack nucleation and short crack growth. Active cracks may become dormant as the near-surface residual stress gradient changes, due to self-equilibration, from highly tensile to a lower tensile state or to a compressive state. The change in residual stress level can occur within 1 mm of the surface, resulting in a large proportion of dormant SCC.

Experiments on 99% pure Ni samples have been carried out to investigate the dependence of deformation on grain size. The accumulated strains and texture changes within the grains over the sampling volume were measured by neutron diffraction as a function of ( h k l ) reflections and sample orientations with respect to the tensile axis. Inhomogeneous developments of strain are found. Large tensile lattice strain was found for reflection (2 0 0) in the direction parallel to the loading axis. Sample of smaller grain size displays larger strain magnitude. The overall trend of the lattice strain development predicted by the elasto-plastic self-consistent model agrees with the experiment to within 30% and 50% for the small grain and large grain samples, respectively.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This is the first study investigating neoadjuvant interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. The goal was to evaluate the type of surgical treatment, histopathologic response, side effects, local control, and survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 53 patients, who could not be treated with breast-conserving surgery due to initial tumor size (36/53) or due to an unfavorable breast-tumor ratio (17/53), were analyzed retrospectively. All but one were in an intermediate/high-risk group (St. Gallen criteria). The patients received a neoadjuvant protocol consisting of systemic chemotherapy combined with fractionated HDR brachytherapy (2 x 5 Gy/day, total dose 30 Gy). In cases, where breast-conserving surgery was performed, patients received additional external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT, 1.8 Gy/day, total dose 50.4 Gy). In patients, who underwent mastectomy but showed an initial tumor size of T3/T4 and/or more than three infiltrated lymph nodes, EBRT was also performed. RESULTS: In 30/53 patients (56.6%) breast-conserving surgery could be performed. The overall histopathologic response rate was 96.2% with a complete remission in 28.3% of patients. 49/53 patients were evaluable for follow-up. After a median of 58 months (45-72 months), one patient showed a mild fibrosis of the breast tissue, three patients had mild to moderate lymphatic edema of the arm. 6/49 (12.2%) patients died of distant metastases, 4/49 (8.2%) were alive with disease, and 39/49 (79.6%) were free from disease. Local recurrence was observed in only one case (2%) 40 months after primary therapy. After mastectomy, this patient is currently free from disease. CONCLUSION: The combination of interstitial HDR brachytherapy and chemotherapy is a well-tolerated and effective neoadjuvant treatment in patients with breast cancer. Compared to EBRT, treatment time is short. Postoperative EBRT of the whole breast -- if necessary -- is still possible after neoadjuvant brachytherapy. Even though the number of patients does not permit definite conclusions, the results are promising regarding survival and the very low rate of local recurrences.

Trends in the evolution of the distributions of crystal slip system strength and lattice strain were collected from finite element simulations of tensile loading of polycrystals. The loading programmes replicated physical experiments on two metallic alloys (AA5182 aluminum and AL6XN stainless steel) in which Bragg peaks were measured by neutron diffraction. Correlations between the broadening of the Bragg peaks and the evolution of slip system strength are demonstrated.

During manufacturing of components by laser engineered net shaping (LENS®), a solid freeform fabrication process, the introduction of residual stresses causes deformation or in the worst case, cracking. The origin is attributed to thermal transients encountered during solidification. In the absence of reliable predictive models for the residual stresses, measurements are necessary. Residual stresses were measured in LENS® samples of 316 stainless steel and Inconel 718 having simple geometrical shapes by both neutron diffraction and the contour methods. The results by the two methods are compared and discussed in the context of the growth direction during the LENS® process. Surprisingly, the residual stresses are practically uni-axial, with high stresses in the growth direction.

Transmutation of nuclear waste is currently being considered to transform long-lived isotopes to species with relatively short half-lives and reduced radioactivity through capture and decay of minor actinides and fission products. This process is intended for geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuels for shorter durations in the proposed Yucca Mountain repository. The molten lead-bismuth-eutectic will be used as a target and coolant during transmutation, which will be contained in a subsystem vessel made from materials such as austenitic (304L) and martensitic (EP-823 and HT-9) stainless steels. The structural materials used in this vessel will be subjected to welding operations and plastic deformation during fabrication. The resultant residual stresses cannot be totally eliminated even by stress-relief operations. Destructive and nondestructive techniques have been used to evaluate residual stresses in the welded and cold-worked specimens. Results indicate that tensile residual stresses were generated at the fusion line of the welded specimens made from either austenitic or martensitic stainless steel, with reduced stresses away from this region. The magnitude of residual stress in the cold-worked specimens was enhanced at intermediate cold-reduction levels, showing tensile residual stresses in the austenitic material while exhibiting compressive stresses in the martensitic alloys. Comparative analyses of the resultant data obtained by different techniques revealed consistent stress patterns.

In materials science and engineering, neutron diffraction has continued to be developed and today is applied mainly to the study of crystallographic texture, micromechanics, residual stresses, and in situ studies of microstructural kinetics. Of key importance to the application of the technique has been an ongoing interaction between researchers at neutron laboratories with an interest and understanding of materials science and leaders in the research community, both in universities and national laboratories and in manufacturing industries. We have found that flexibility in approaching this interaction has been of great benefit and has enabled far more work to be performed with a greater range of collaborators more rapidly than would otherwise be the case. This interaction has lead to many important studies of materials and to the evolution of a service of relevance to materials engineering, the most recent of which will be reviewed briefly.

The transient stresses and phase evolution have been characterized in the quasi-steady state produced around a gas tungsten arc welding torch in a plain carbon (ASTM 1018) steel using in situ neutron diffraction. A novel method has been developed to isolate the deviatoric or plane stress state in the presence of isotropic contributions to the lattice parameter, such as thermal expansion and solute content. The stress state was found to evolve in the anticipated manner, with compressive stresses ahead of the weld and tensile stresses behind the weld, in the weld and heat-affected zone, and compression in the far field behind the weld. In particular, the region of compression in the heat-affected zone adjacent to and just behind the welding torch expected from weld models was observed. The evolution of phase fraction around the weld was also determined using the technique and the stresses obtained from the ferrite phase. © 2013 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.

Crystal lattice plane spacing is modified by the application of stress. The changes in spacing can be measured with neutron diffraction and used to determine the elastic strains in loaded crystals. Using finite element methods, elastic strains can be computed under loading that mimics the experiment. The quality of comparisons between the measured and computed strains depends strongly on accurate knowledge of parameters that quantify the single crystal elastic and plastic responses. For one aluminum alloy in particular, we have found that we can improve the match of lattice strains through careful choice of the single crystal elastic moduli. The parameters are selected on the basis of comparisons between the experimental results and a series of simulations in which the single crystal moduli were varied systematically. Good correspondence is obtained for a set of moduli with higher single crystal anisotropy than those of pure aluminum.

Evaluation of feasibility, tolerance and efficiency for a new 3D interstitial HDR brachytherapy technique combined with 3D external beam radiotherapy and androgen deprivation for prostate cancer.

Residual stresses commonly arise in metallic components following plastic deformation and can have a significant effect on the mechanical properties. At the scale of the crystals, stresses are directly related to changes in lattice spacing. Neutron diffraction provides an effective method of measuring the spacing of atomic planes in crystal lattices with sufficient precision to determine the elastic (lattice) strains. In this work, tensile specimens were loaded and unloaded in situ to progressively larger amounts of plastic strain. Neutron diffraction measurements were taken at various points in the loading history, and the data were reduced to give the average elastic strains in subsets of the crystals characterized by common crystallographic directions.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of different calibration procedures for 192 Ir high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy sources and to determine their suitability in clinical practice. In addition the manufacturer’s calibration is compared with our experimental measurements so that the accuracy of the source strength on the manufacturer certificate which is supplied with each new 192 Ir source can be accessed. Methods and Materials: We compared three types of calibration system: well-type chambers (HDR-1000 and SDS), cylindrical phantom, and plate phantom. The total number of measurements we obtained was 365. The number of sources used for the calibration procedure comparison was 20 and the number used for comparison with the manufacturer’s calibration was 46. This study was made during the period 1989–1997. Also, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) calibrated one of our sources using their PTB protocol so that the results could be compared with our own. Results: The sensitivity of each system on scattering from the room walls was studied. It was found that different minimum lateral distances from the walls were required for the different systems tested: 15 cm and 25 cm for the well-type chambers, 75 cm for the cylindrical phantom, and 13 cm for the plate phantom. The minimum thickness required to reach phantom scattering saturation for the plate phantom setup is 24 cm. The influence of the applicator material used in the calibration setup was found to be 1.7% for the stainless steel dosimetry applicator compared to the plastic 5F applicator. The accuracy of source positioning within the applicator can lead to dosimetric errors of ±1.2% for the radial distance of 8.0 cm used with both solid phantoms. The change in the response for both well-type chambers was only 0.1% for changes in the source position within ±7.5 mm around the response peak. Good agreement was found between all dosimetry systems included in our study. Taking the HDR-1000 well-type chamber results as a reference, we observed percentage root mean square (RMS) values of 0.11% for the SDS well-type chamber, 0.44% for the cylindrical, and 0.60% for the plate phantom setup. A comparison of our results using the cylindrical phantom with those of the manufacturer showed a percentage RMS value of 3.3% with a percentage fractional error range of −13.0% to +6.0%. The comparison of our calibration results with those of PTB gave deviations less than 0.4% for all systems. Conclusions: Our results have shown that with careful use of all calibration system protocols an accurate determination of source strength can be obtained. However, the manufacturer’s calibration is not accurate enough on its own, and it should be mandatory for clinics to always measure the source strength of newly delivered 192 Ir brachytherapy sources. The influence of the applicator material, metal or plastic, should always be taken into account.

The most commonly used in-line pipeline inspection tools utilize the magnetic flux leakage (MFL) technique, which is sensitive to the stress state of the pipe wall. Calibration of these MFL tools is often carried out using unstressed pipeline sections containing simulated defects, usually produced by mechanical drilling. There is also strong interest in creating simulated defects in stressed pipe walls, thus simulating corrosion in the field. In this study, neutron diffraction is used to map the local stresses surrounding mechanically and electrochemically drilled holes in a steel plate sample. Holes were drilled in unstressed samples, as well as samples held at a constant 80 MPa uniaxial stress. Mechanical drilling into a stressed sample was found to induce considerable residual stresses around the hole. Conversely, electrochemical drilling did not create a residual stress field in the vicinity of the hole.

A detailed study of the complex triaxial residual stress distribution of the double-pass friction stir welded (FSW) lap-joint between two different high strength aluminum alloy sheet materials was conducted. A non-destructive technique known as neutron diffraction was used to measure the internal residual stress distribution in the three principal direction of the lap-joint in the as-welded and hammer peened configurations to determine effects of hammer peening on redistribution of residual stresses across the weld. The residual stress variation across the weld in the transverse direction contained the highest values of tensile stress in all three principal directions. The residual stress in the hammer peened test specimen was in most cases reduced in all three principal directions., 9th International Conference on Residual Stresses, ICRS 2012, October 7-9, 2012, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Series: Materials Science Forum

This paper examines the residual stress distributions at selected depths in three stiffened 350WT steel plates representing typical stiffened steel plates used in modern ship construction. Residual stresses can develop from the welding process, and the magnitude of these stresses can be high enough to cause an early onset of yielding. Therefore, fatigue or other failures can also occur when welding-induced residual stresses are combined with service-load-induced stresses. In this study, the welding-induced residual stresses of these stiffened steel plate specimens were quantified at the near surface using the X-Ray diffraction method and at various depths using the neutron diffraction method. Transverse and longitudinal stress components for all three specimens were collected and analyzed. The residual stress profiles determined from both methods were found to be similar. However, some disagreement was found within the heat-affected zone of the weld bead. This paper discusses the residual stress distributions found in the three specimens and compares the two methods of measurement.

The binary alloy Cu3Au undergoes a first-order phase transition at 667 ± 3 K Within the context of the Landau theory of phase transitions, there exist, in addition to the order–disorder temperature, Tc, upper and lower spinodal temperatures, Tsu and Ts1. These mark the first temperatures, upon approaching the phase transition from above and below, respectively, at which metastable droplets of the second phase can fluctuate out of the first phase. Until recently, there has, however, been little physical evidence supporting the existence of the spinodal temperatures. Elastic and inelastic neutron-scattering measurements have been carried out on Cu3Au over an extended temperature range with particular emphasis on temperatures near Tc. The lattice constant data, order-parameter data, and phonon data provided by these measurements all indicate that there are two temperature regimes just below Tc with a crossover between these regimes in the range of (Tc – 35) to (Tc – 25) K. This crossover temperature is interpreted as the lower spinodal temperature of Cu3Au.

Sleeve coldworking (SCW) is a mechanical process used in the aircraft industry to strengthen fastener holes of structural parts. By cold-expanding the holes, compressive residual stresses and a high dislocation density are introduced around the holes, the effect of which is to counteract the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks and thus increase the fatigue life of the parts. The knowledge of residual stress due to SCW is therefore crucial for assessing the fatigue properties of a treated part. In this study, residual stresses were investigated, by employing neutron and X-ray diffraction methods, in a lug specimen that was sleeve coldworked and fatigued. The specimen had been used for testing the influence of the SCW process on fatigue life and crack propagation behaviour under constant amplitude or variable amplitude cyclic loading.

Neutrons are particularly adept for the validation of modeling predictions of stress and strain. In recent years, there has been a significant effort to model the evolution of both the macroscopic stresses and the intergranular stress during plastic deformation. These have had broad implications with regard to understanding the evolution of residual stress and to diffraction-based measurements of strain. Generally the modeling and associated measurements have been performed for simple uniaxial tension, leaving questions with regard to plastic deformation under multi-axial stress and non-uniform stress. Extensive measurements of the strain profile across a plastic hinge for each of a series of loading and unloading cycles to progressively higher degrees of plastic deformation are presented. These measurements are used to assess multiple-length-scale finite-element modeling (FEM) of the plastic hinge, in which the elements will range in size from single crystallites (as used in successful simulations of uniaxial tension) to macroscopic elements (as typically used in FEM simulations).

Laser cladding is to deposit desired material onto the surface of a base material (or substrate) with a relatively low heat input to form a metallurgically sound and dense clad. This process has been successfully applied for repairing damaged high-value tooling to reduce their through-life cost. However, laser cladding, which needs to melt a small amount of a substrate along with cladding material, inevitably introduces residual stresses in both clad and substrate. The tensile residual stresses in the clad could adversely affect mechanical performance of the substrate being deposited. This paper presents an experimental study on process-induced residual stresses in laser clad AISI P20 tool steel onto pre-hardened wrought P20 base material and the correlation with microstructures using hole-drilling and neutron diffraction methods. Combined with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic analyses, the roles of solid-state phase transformations in the clad and heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the substrate during cladding and post-cladding heat treatments on the development and controllability of residual stresses in the P20 clad have been investigated, and the results could be beneficial to more effective repair of damaged plastic injection molds made by P20 tool steel.

The idea of atomic-resolution holography has its roots in the X-ray work of Bragg1 and in Gabor's electron interference microscope2. Gabor's lensless microscope was not realized in his time, but over the past twelve years there has been a steady increase in the number of reports on atomic-resolution holography. All of this work involves the use of electrons3, 4, 5, 6 or hard X-rays7, 8, 9, 10, 11 to produce the hologram. Neutrons are often unique among scattering probes in their interaction with materials: for example, the relative visibility of hydrogen and its isotopes is a great advantage in the study of polymers and biologically relevant materials. Recent work12 proposed that atomic-resolution holography could be achieved with thermal neutrons. Here we use monochromatic thermal neutrons, adopting the inside-source concept of Sz�ke13, to image planes of oxygen atoms located above and below a single hydrogen atom in the oxide mineral simpsonite14.

In this research, the neutron diffraction technique was used to investigate the residual stress distributions in constrained carbon steel welds. Two full penetration welds were studied using (a) the stringer bead and (b) the temper bead weld techniques in 25 mm thick plate. The welds were not post-weld heat treated. The focus of the measurements is on the values of the subsurface and through-thickness strain/stress variation near the middle of the weld and the toe. The experimental results showed that both processes had high residual stresses particularly through the thickness. The measurements were compared with current fitness-for-purpose approaches, such as BS7910 and R6. It was found that the residual stress distribution in the temper bead welded specimen was not as favorable as suspected and post-weld heat treatment should be recommended to reduce residual tensile stresses in this type of steel welds.

Residual stress in the vicinity of a weld can have a large influence on structural integrity. Here the extent to which the martensite-start temperature of the weld filler metal can be adjusted to engineer the residual stress distribution in a bainitic-martensitic steel weld was investigated. Three single-pass groove welds were deposited by manual-metal-arc welding on 12 mm thick steel plates using filler metals designed to have different martensite-start temperatures. Their longitudinal, transverse, and normal residual stress distributions were then characterized across the weld cross section by neutron diffraction. It was found that tensile stresses along the welding direction can be reduced or even replaced with compressive stresses if the transformation temperature is lowered sufficiently. The results are interpreted in the context of designing better welding consumables.

The constrained moduli of the γ and γ′ phases of the Ni superalloy CMSX-4 have been determined using in situ neutron diffraction. The elastic moduli of the isolated phases fitted using a model are found to be E [ 100 ] = 103 GPa in the γ and 134 GPa in the γ′ at room temperature, while at 900 °C they are 96 and 90 GPa. Therefore load partitions markedly to the γ′ phase at room temperature but there is little load partitioning at elevated temperatures.