Papers by Author: Michael Hofmann

Abstract: The increasing demand on thermo-mechanical strength, lightweight and formability in engineering applications require metallic materials with high sophisticated properties. Such functional alloys consist of heterogeneous composite-like microstructures, which are responsible for their stability in demanding service conditions (high temperature strength, low fatigue and creep resistance). External loads are distributed in between the phases of the alloys introducing high micro stress gradients, responsible for elastic and plastic deformation at the interfaces and micro crack initiation. Thus, the properties of such materials depend mainly on their phase shapes and 3D architectures leading to high stress gradients and elasto-plastic deformation under service conditions.This manuscript describes experimental studies on phase strain distribution for different heat treatment conditions in an AlMg4Si10 alloy. Neutron diffraction was used for strain measurement at an angle dispersive strain scanner with in-situ tensile test setup. Strain evolution under load and after unloading was measured to show elasto-plastic deformation behaviour in between the ductile α-Al matrix and stiff reinforcing Mg₂Si and Si phases. The degree of plastification, its effect on micro stress gradients and its influence on crack initiation could be discussed and comparisons to other composite materials could be drawn.

Abstract: Characterization of advanced materials by neutron powder diffraction provides information not accessible by other techniques. Thanks to the low absorption of neutrons, the bulk of the material and large-grain samples can be investigated, moreover in situ at elevated temperatures. The neutron diffraction use is demonstrated on two types of technologically important materials: Ti-Zr alloy and Co-Re high temperature alloy. In Ti-Zr alloy, the residual stress relief and microstrain evolution after ECAP was established. Boron influence on TaC strengthening precipitates in Co-Re high temperature alloys was shown not to be significant at the foreseen alloy operation temperatures, although boron content has a strong influence on the matrix phase.

Abstract: The high flux neutron diffractometer STRESSSPEC at FRM II, Garching Germany, offers a flexible instrument setup suitable for fast and surface residual strain measurements. Likewise bulk, local or gradient texture analyses are feasible. Here improvements of the hardware (detector, slits) of the instrument as well as developments on methods for residual stress analysis are presented. A new detector system developed inhouse was recently installed and successfully commissioned. Compared to the original delay line detector the new detector provides much higher resolution and allows event mode type measurements. Results of the commissioning measurements show a performance increase of nearly a factor of 2 compared to the former detector. Moreover the new analytical model, recently developed for surface spurious strain corrections, was successfully applied at a welded austenitic steel sample. Thus nondestructive measurements from the surface (200 μm) into the bulk (several millimeters) are possible without any extra time consuming experiments for spurious strains corrections.

Abstract: The accurate determination of strain during measurement using neutron diffraction depends on many factors. The statistical uncertainty of the diffraction data is not always the most important contributor to the total uncertainty in the measured strain. Other contributors, such as sample positioning, size and shape of the sampling (gauge) volume and the size and distribution of grains within the sampling volume, often play an important role as well. Grain size issues have been the least studied and their impact is often ignored even though the potential uncertainty contribution can be large. Certain methods such as oscillating the sample during measurement can help in reducing the magnitude of the grain size effect and hence also that of the related uncertainty contribution. A thorough characterization of uncertainties due to grain size effects however, in terms of absolute values that should be added to the statistical peak fitting uncertainties has not yet been implemented. This paper will present an improved method to characterize and estimate absolute uncertainty values due to grain size effects.

Abstract: In this study local texture of process vessels made of carbon steel cladded by protective layers of stainless steel by submerged arc welding (SAW) were investigated by neutron diffraction using the diffractometer STRESSSPEC at FRM 2 (Garching, Germany). Different samples were prepared: as welded and as welded plus relevant industrial heat treatment. Local texture measurements with a gauge volume of 3 x 3 x 2 mm³ of the three cladding layers (at depths of 2 mm, 5 mm and 7.5 mm) for each sample were determined. Texture results indicated that there exists an annealed cube component in all the studied samples. Based on the measured pole figures at each depth and sample, the calculated orientation distribution functions data were used to calculate the Young's modulus with respect to the main welding directions. The calculated local and bulk anisotropic Young’s modulus in depth is presented and discussed.

Abstract: A new Mg-RE (rare earth) alloy was previously developed by micro-alloying method (RE< 0.4 wt.%), which achieves a high ductility and good corrosion resistance. In-situ tensile test via neutron and synchrotron diffraction were performed to investigate first the deformation behaviour; and second the texture evolution which can be related to the deformation mechanism, and finally to understand why the as-cast Mg-RE alloys show such a high tensile ductility.Preliminary results showed that a dominated basal fibre texture was gradually developed with the increase of tensile strain. However, before the sample was broken a (10.0) fibre texture showed a similar intensity to that in (00.2), which means more activations of the non-basal slip planes during tensile deformation. This could also contribute to a relatively high elongation of this new Mg-RE alloy at room temperature. Further discussion will be showed together with the microstructures.

Abstract: Rotary friction welding (RFW) was used in the current study to join the dissimilar metals AA7020-T6 aluminium alloy and 316L steel. Neutron diffraction was performed to investigate the texture gradient around the weld line and to map the residual stress over the whole specimen. The texture analysis showed a weak shear component near the bond line of AA7020-T6-T6 side which indicated a plastic deformation of AA7020-T6 during welding. The shear bands were also observed in optical microstructures. Relatively high tensile residual stresses were observed near the bond line on the AA7020-T6 side, which were in-homogeneously distributed from the perimeter to the rod centre, while high compressive residual stresses were found in the sample centre at the bond line in the 316L steel.

Abstract: Selectively induced compressive residual stress depth profiles are gaining increasing importance as design tool for internally pressurized components. Hydraulic Autofrettage (AF) is a well-known manufacturing process to induce pronounced compressive residual stresses. However, AF does not stand alone in the technical process chain. In this paper, results from neutron diffraction experiments performed on thick-walled cylinders are presented and compared to finite-element simulations with Abaqus/CAE. The impact on the final residual stress depth profile after pre-machining, Autofrettage and post-machining is discussed.

Abstract: Composite castings exhibit high residual stresses, mainly because of different thermal expansion of the used materials. Similar to the in-cast cylinder liners in a motor block, a composite specimen, consisting of a steel insert and an aluminum cast surrounding, was analyzed by neutron diffraction. The temperature- and time-dependent change of lattice spacing and thus the strain evolution was investigated by in-situ experiments directly after casting and during the cooling of the part. Different cooling conditions were investigated using two different molds, namely a sand and a permanent (steel) mold, optimized for in-situ neutron diffraction.

Abstract: Precise determination of diffraction peak positions is of particular importance for the evaluation of residual strains. Neutrons are commonly used to probe residual strains from material volumes in depths of several millimetres under the sample surface. However, neutron strain analyses are critical for the near surface region. When scanning close to a sample surface, aberration peak shifts arise, which can be of the same order as the peak shifts related to residual strains [1]. Series of Monte Carlo (M.C.) simulations using the software package RESTRAX/SIMRES [2] were carried out to simulate the peak shift as a function of gauge volume depth, monochromator curvature and other instrumental parameters, which can be used to quickly optimise the experimental setup for direct measuring residual strains near the sample surface at an arbitrary surface orientation. The M.C. simulations were compared and agree very well with the experimental data, not only for a stress free steel sample but as well for a deep rolled steel sample, measured at the STRESS-SPEC diffractometer at the research reactor FRM II, Garching (Germany).