X-Ray Diffraction Measurement of Residual Stresses in Thick, Multi-Pass Steel Weldments

A unique X-ray diffraction instrument for residual stress measurement has been developed that provides for speed, ease of measurement, accuracy, and economy of surface stress measurement. Application of this instrument with a material removal technique, e.g., electropolishing, has facilitated detailed, high resolution studies of three-dimensional stress fields. This paper describes the instrumentation and techniques applied to conduct the residual stress measurement and presents maps of the residual stress data obtained for the surfaces of a heavy 2 1/4 Cr 1 Mo steel plate weldment.