Neutron diffraction has proven a valuable tool for materials characterization of engineering materials, specifically for the technique’s merits in residual stress mapping. Neutron diffraction allows for non-destructive spatial characterization of residual stresses in engineering materials with deep penetration, as opposed to x-ray diffraction which can only characterize the surface stress state. The HB2B beamline at HFIR has two decades of history mapping residual stresses in a variety of components and materials.
