Two new tensile devices for X-ray diffraction experiments

Two tensile devices were designed to be used with parallel beam and parafocusing-geometry diffractometers. In the first case the device was designed to be attached to a strainflex diffractometer by Rigaku Inc., dedicated to stress analysis and commonly used in metallurgical industry. Since the sample does not move during the measurement, the tensile device can be kept fixed on the experimental table. The device design takes into account the steric hindrance by moving parts of diffractometer. The maximun load that can be applied to the sample is 60.000 N. An attachement to a Siemens D5000 diffractometer with Eulerian cradle has also benn designed for applying a load up tp 6000 N to a sample in the parafocusing-geometry. The installation does not require a re-alignment of the diffractometer. In both cases strain gages were applied to both sides of the specimen for the simultaneous determination of the macroscopic strains. Experiments based on the use of these devices are planned to determine the crystallographic elastic constants and study the influence of the microstructure on the mechanical behaviour of residual stresses in the zone of almost static stresses as well as the influence of residual stresses on uniaxially loaded samples. In addition, by using these devices, it is possible to measure the unstressed d-0 spacings providing useful information in the neutron diffraction study fo stress fields in steel samples