Anna Paradowska

Neutron diffraction residual strain measurements in nanostructured hydroxyapatite coatings for orthopaedic implants

The failure of an orthopaedic implant can be initiated by residual strain inherent to the hydroxyapatite coating (HAC). Knowledge of the through-thickness residual strain profile in the thermally sprayed hydroxyapatite coating/substrate system is therefore important in the development of a new generation of orthopaedic implants. As the coating microstructure is complex, non-destructive characterization of residual strain, e.g. using neutron diffraction, provides a useful measure of through thickness strain profile without altering the stress field. This first detailed study using a neutron diffraction technique, non-destructively evaluates the through thickness strain measurement in nanostructured hydroxyapatite plasma sprayed coatings on a titanium alloy substrate (as-sprayed, heat treated, and heat treated then soaked in simulated body fluid (SBF)). The influence of crystallographic plane orientation on the residual strain measurement is shown to indicate texturing in the coating. This texturing is expected to influence both the biological and fracture response of HA coatings. Results are discussed in terms of the influence of heat-treatment and SBF on the residual stress profile for these biomedical coatings. The results show that the through thickness residual strain in all three coatings was different for different crystallographic planes but was on average tensile. It is also concluded that the heat-treatment and simulated body fluid exposure had a significant effect on the residual strain profile in the top layers of HAC.

Comparison of joining efficiency and residual stresses in laser and laser hybrid welding

Abstract Laser welding is a high energy density process, which can produce welds with less energy input and thereby lower residual stress generation compared to arc welding processes. However, the narrow beam dimension makes it extremely sensitive in terms of fit up tolerance. This causes a problem in achieving high quality welds. Laser with arc hybrid process overcomes such issues. In this paper, longitudinal residual strains were compared for autogenous laser welding and laser/TIG hybrid processes. Joining efficiency, which is defined by the penetration depth achieved per unit of energy input, was correlated with the residual strain generation. It has been shown that to achieve a specific penetration depth, there is an optimum welding condition for each of the welding processes, which will give minimum tensile residual stress generation. The results imply that for the same penetration depth, hybrid process resulted in ∼50% higher tensile longitudinal domain compared to autogenous laser.

Neutron time-of-flight diffraction used to study aged duplex stainless steel at small and large deformation until sample fracture

Owing to its selectivity, diffraction is a powerful tool for analysing the mechanical behaviour of polycrystalline materials at the mesoscale (phase and/or grain scale). In situ neutron diffraction during tensile tests and elastoplastic self-consistent modelling were used to study slip phenomena occurring on crystallographic planes at small and large deformation. The critical resolved shear stresses in both phases of duplex stainless steel were found for samples subjected to different thermal treatments. The evolution of grain loading was also determined by showing the large differences between stress concentration for grains in ferritic and austenitic phases. It was found that, for small loads applied to the sample, linear elastic deformation occurs in both phases. When the load increases, austenite starts to deform plastically, while ferrite remains in the elastic range. Finally, both phases undergo plastic deformation until sample fracture. By using an original calibration of diffraction data, the range of the study was extended to large sample deformation. As a result, mechanical effects that can be attributed to damage processes initiated in ferrite were observed.

Measurement of residual stresses in titanium aerospace components formed via additive manufacturing

In the present study gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with automated wire addition was used to additively manufacture (AM) a representative thin-walled aerospace component from Ti-6Al-4V in a layer-wise manner. Residual strains, and hence stresses, were analysed quantitatively using neutron diffraction techniques on the KOWARI strain scanner at the OPAL research facility operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). Results showed that residual strains within such an AM sample could be measured with relative ease using the neutron diffraction method. Residual stress levels were found to be greatest in the longitudinal direction and concentrated at the interface between the base plate and deposited wall. Difficulties in measurement of lattice strains in some discrete locations were ascribed to the formation of the formation of localised texturing where α-Ti laths form in aligned colonies within prior β-Ti grain boundaries upon cooling. Observations of microstructure reveal basket-weave morphology typical of welds in Ti-6Al-4V. Microhardness measurements show a drop in hardness in the top region of the deposit, indicating a dependence on thermal cycling from sequential welds.

Comparison of Neutron and Synchrotron Diffraction Measurements of Residual Stress in Bead-on-Plate Weldments

This paper explores the use of neutron and synchrotron diffractions for the evaluation of residual stresses in welded components. It has been shown that it is possible to achieve very good agreement between the two independent diffraction techniques. This study shows the significance of the weld start and end sites on the residual strain/stress distribution. Quantitative evaluation of the residual stress development process for multibead weldments has been presented. Some measurements were also taken before and after postweld stress relieving to establish the reduction and redistribution of the residual stress. The detailed measurements of residual stress around the weld achieved in this work significantly improve the knowledge and understanding of residual stress in welded components.

Optimising parameters for meaningful measurement of residual strain by neutron diffraction in self-pierce riveted joints

Abstract The aim of this work is to examine the uncertainties involved in measuring residual strain and their dependence on both the gauge volume of the neutron beam and the acquisition time in self-pierce riveted (SPR) joints while using the neutron diffraction technique. The main challenge involved dealing with the very small dimensions of SPR joints and developing optimum instrument configuration that allowed faster and/or more accurate stress measurement in SPR while maintaining the same time resolution required for the millimetre scale of the problem. Two different gauge volumes were used (0·125 and 1·0 mm3), and two different measuring directions were chosen in order to examine the rotational accuracy of the sample table. All measurements were conducted in steel‐steel joints. Even though small sizes were involved, meaningful results were obtained and measurement errors were reduced by optimising the instrument parameters.

Neutron Diffraction Residual Strain Measurements in Plasma Sprayed Nanostructured Hydroxyapatite Coatings for Orthopaedic Implants

Residual strains in plasma sprayed and heat-treated hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings deposited on a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) substrate were investigated by means of neutron diffraction. Strain measurements were performed in vertical scan (“z-scanning”) mode to provide a through thickness strain profile in the coating and substrate materials. Results are discussed in terms of the influence of heat-treatment on the residual strain profile of these biomedical coatings. This investigation concluded that the heat-treatment had a significant effect on the residual strain profile in HA coatings.

Prediction of welding stresses in WIC test and its application in pipelines

In the present study, the Welding Institute of Canada (WIC) restraint test was used to simulate the restraint conditions of full-scale girth welds on energy pipelines to ascertain the influence of welding process parameters on welding stresses. Finite element models are developed, and validated with neutron diffraction measurements, to evaluate the welding stresses for under-matched, matched and over-matched welds. The effects of heat input, wall thickness and variable restraint lengths of WIC sample are systematically investigated. As a practical outcome, this work can help in selection of the appropriate restraint length for WIC tests to simulate the specified stress conditions in the pipeline, and, ultimately, reduce the risk of Hydrogen Assisted Cold Cracking (HACC) in high strength low alloy. This paper is part of a Themed Issue on Measurement, modelling and mitigation of residual stress.

Residual stress profiles in riveted joints of steel sheets

Abstract The residual stress profiles in two different self-piercing riveted (SPR) joints were characterised using the neutron diffraction technique. The joints were produced using semi-tubular steel rivets and carbon steel sheets of different thicknesses and hardnesses. The residual stress in the sheet material inside the bore of the rivet was compressive at the centre and the stress became tensile away from the centre. The stresses found in the semi-tubular rivet were compressive, with a lower magnitude in the rivet head compared with those in the rivet leg. For the SPR joints examined, the compressive residual stress in the rivet leg was greater for the thin joint than the thick joint, and this was due to the higher force gradient encountered during the rivet flaring stage. The originality of this work was to relate the residual stress profile to the physical event that occurred during the SPR process.

Investigation of Residual Stresses Distribution in Titanium Weldments

Titanium and its alloys have increasingly become a material of choice for applications in high-performance structures due to their superior corrosion resistance and high strength-to-weight ratio. However, in contrast to conventional steel alloys, there exist little design and manufacturing experience in the heavy fabrication industry with large welded structures made of titanium materials. In addressing the above concern, the University of New Orleans funded by Office of Naval Research (ONR) initiated program on investigation of manufacturability and performance of a titanium mid-ship section. The uniqueness of this program is its focus upon a representative full-size mid-ship section upon which relevant scientific and technological challenges are simulated and experimentally validated. This paper reports the measurements of residual stresses using neutron diffraction in titanium T-joints. The residual stresses were measured using Engin-X at ISIS (UK) and the Kowari Strain Scanner at ANSTO (Australia). This experimental research was used to validate our in house predictions and significantly improved the knowledge and understanding of the welding process of titanium alloys.