Neutron diffraction measurements of microstress and macrostress in composites

For accurate stress measurements, precise values of the diffraction elastic constant (DEC) is required. The theoretical prediction of DEC of engineering materials on the basis of the self-consistent model agreed well with the experimental results of sintered alumina with various porosities. From the experimental results of DEC of sintered silicon nitride, the elastic anisotropy of single crystals of β-silicon nitride was estimated with the simplex method. The phase stress measured in the matrix and SiC particles of composite subjected to the applied stress agreed well with the theoretical prediction. The macrostress calculated from the phase stress by using the rule of mixture was equal to the applied stress. The measured values of the thermal residual stress in ceramic composites of alumina mixed with various volume fractions of zirconia agreed well with the theoretical prediction based on Eshelby's inclusion model. (author)