The X-ray measurement of stress in plastically deformed mild steel

Abstract

The X-ray diffraction method of stress measurement has been used to measure the residual stresses developed in uniaxially plastically strained mild steel. Residual stresses with depth profiles have been measured in the surface regions using chromium and cobalt radiations. The dislocation substructures within both bulk and surface regions have been compared using optical and transmission electron microscopy. The observed variation in dislocation substructures has confirmed the existence of heterogeneous work hardening in the specimen and is correlated with the measured residual stress distribution. The occurrence of these stress gradients has been used to explain anomalous X-ray stress measurements obtained by other workers.