The strain distribution in anisotropic polycrystalline aggregates subjected to an external stress field

Abstract

Abstract When a stress field is applied to a, polycrystalline aggregate, an inhomogeneous strain field develops because of the elastic anisotropy of the crystallites in the sample. The distribution of strains can be investigated using neutron diffraction since, because of the low attenuation of neutrons in most solids, a large number of crystallites contribute to the diffraction profile. The distribution of strains is obtained theoretically for aggregates with textures typical of those found in rolled steels. These results have application to the determination of residual stresses in metals using neutron diffraction.