Papers by Keyword: Synchrotron

Abstract: A novel experimental method has been developed by amalgamating a pencil beam X-Ray diffraction (XRD) technique with the recently developed grain boundary tracking (GBT) technique. XRD and GBT are both non-destructive in-situ analysis techniques for characterizing bulk materials, which can be carried out close to the point of fracture. DAGT provides information about individual grain orientations and 1-micron-level grain morphologies in 3-dimensions (3D) together with high-density local strain mapping. An Al-3 mass % Cu model alloy was used to investigate its deformation behavior under tension. The morphology of the grains was determined by the X-ray microtomography (XMT) imaging and the liquid metal wetting technique, after which GBT provided an accurate description of the position and morphology of all the grains in a region of interests. Diffraction spots in the XRD experiments were related to grains, making it possible to describe crystallographic orientation of all the grains. It has been revealed that deformation is localized at both microscopic and meso-scopic levels. Inhomogeneous deformation was observed in each individual grain. In addition, a group of a few grains coordinately interacts and specific grain boundaries thereby exhibit intense strain localization. Hydrostatic tension was also observed at quadruple junction points and its mechanism was analyzed.

Abstract: Phase composition of gelatin-starch blends were investigated by Fourier transform infared (FTIR) spectroscopy with various extended techniques, from ATR to 2D and 3D mapping by synchrotron FTIR micro-spectroscopy. The peaks of the saccharide bands (1180953 cm^-1) and the amide I and II bands (17501483 cm^-1) were used to identify the starch and gelatin respectively. The ratio of the areas of the saccharide bands the amide I and II bands was used to determine relative distributions of the two components of the blends.

Abstract: The spiral slit-system was improved in order to make a gauge length regularity. The bending stress was measured by the improved spiral slit-system, and the measured stresses corresponded to the applied stress regardless of the diffraction angle. As a result, the validity of the improved spiral slit-system was proved. On the other hand, the diffraction spot trace method (DSTM), which combined the spiral slit-system and a PILATUS detector, was proposed to measure stress in a coarse grain. In this study, the distribution of the residual stress in a melt-run welding specimen was measured using the DSTM. The welding residual stresses measured accorded with that by the FEM simulation.

Abstract: Structural deformation during uniaxial drawing of polyethylene-block-polystyrene (PE-b-PS) copolymer film was analyzed by in-situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement. The PE-b-PS film was prepared by solution casting, followed by isothermally crystallizing from melt. The obtained film exhibits the characteristic bicontinuous crystalline/amorphous morphology. Initial stage of uniaxial drawing induces the orientation of such crystalline/amorphous phases, but these phase separation is destroyed in the latter stage. In contrast, solvent swelling treatment successfully induces the orientation of crystalline/amorphous phases with keeping the phase continuity.

Abstract: LiCrO₂ is a triangular lattice antiferromagnetic compound exhibiting geometrically frustrated two dimensional arrangement of Cr ions with T_N = 62 K at which an isostructural transition occurs. We show, using temperature dependent high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies, that upon a nominal 1% Cu doping at the Li site, there are large changes in structural parameters and the (coupled) magnetic and dielectric properties.

Abstract: The rotating-slit system was developed to overcome the measurement of internal stress using 2-dimensional detector. The diffraction spot trace method was proposed and examined to measure the internal stress of the material with coarse grains.

Abstract: Synchrotron radiography experiments are overviewed that directly image semi-solid deformation at the globule-scale. Globular Al-15Cu at 50-60% solid was deformed in direct-shear at 10-2 s-1. Deformation is shown to occur by globule rearrangement without discernible deformation of the individual globules. Globules were found to translate and rotate as quasi-discrete bodies in response to forces acting at globule-globule contacts, similar to liquid-saturated granular materials such as water-saturated sand. Rearrangement caused the globule packing-density (the solid fraction) to adjust by local compaction and local dilation of the globule assembly, and deformation is highly inhomogeneous. During shear, there was a net dilation and strain began to localize into a shear band of decreased solid fraction by the end of the experiments.

Abstract: Beamline I11 at Diamond began accepting users for high resolution powder diffraction experiments in Oct 2008. We present the design, key specifications, performance and the hardware of this new beamline which receives an intense and highly collimated x-ray beam generated by an in-vacuum undulator. With the simple optics (a double-crystal monochromator, harmonic rejection mirrors and slits), a high purity beam of low energy-bandpass X-rays optimised at 15 keV is delivered at the sample. The heavy duty diffraction instrument is designed to have the flexibility to house a variety of sample environments and holds two detection systems to collect high quality diffraction data, i.e. multi-analysing crystals (MAC) for high angular resolution experiments and a fast position sensitive detector (PSD) for time-resolved studies. A recent addition to the beamline capabilities is the installation of a specifically designed gas control system. This allows the in-situ dosing of a powder sample with gases such as hydrogen and carbon dioxide, at low (~10 mbar) and high pressures (<100 bar). In addition a low pressure capillary sample cell is described which is now available to users of the beamline.

Abstract: Synchrotron X-ray diffraction is reliable to measure residual stresses and characterize existing phases close to substrate/coating interface. In the present study, we focus on the cobalt-alloys coating deposited on stainless steel forging tools via Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) process. Forging tools always work in high temperature conditions. Since fatigue crack is often detected near to the interface, we used synchrotron radiation to characterize residual stress profiles both in the substrate and coating sides. Also, we defined phases inside diluted substrate layers and in the stellite coating using a Rietveld refinement.

Abstract: Texture formation during an austempering treatment of a TRIP-assisted steel was studied by in-situ texture measurements with a high energy source (synchrotron). Samples from a cold rolled sheet were subjected to a complete heat treatment cycle for TRIP steels including reheating to the intercritical (α+γ) temperature region, isothermal soaking and bainitic holding (austempering) at 400°C for 600s. At specific points of the thermal cycle {200}γ, {220}γ {222}γ, {331}γ and {200}α, {211}α and {220}α Debye rings were recorded and the corresponding incomplete pole figures were calculated. The latter were used to derive the orientation distribution functions (ODFs) of BCC and FCC phases at specific steps of the annealing process after assuming the orthotropic sample symmetry. The acquired data for the texture evolution during the α–γ–α phase transformation showed that during the reheating for intercritical annealing the gamma phase with {011} orientation is among the first to nucleate from the recrystallized α phase during heating and the Goss and Cube orientations are among the principal gamma phase components which transform to BCC phase after cooling.