X-Ray Diffraction Residual Stress Measurements for Quality Control Testing

Abstract

This paper present the primary difficulties which are associated with the obtaining and interpreting surface X-ray diffraction residual stress results: the surface stresses may be identical for the shoot peening, nitriding and grinding parameters; many machining and grinding metal removal processes can generate local fluctuations in the surface residual stress; for many material removal and surface treatment processes the depth of penetration of the X-ray beam is quite shallow and can cause experimental error in the measurement of the surface stress. The stress distributions by conventional and abusive grinding of 4340 steel, the surface residual stresses for 5160 steel leaf springs shot peened may prohibit the use of non-destructive surface stress measurements.