Kumakhov optics in a portable x-ray assembly for stress-strain and element analysis

Abstract

One of the most important features of the developed portable diffractometer making use of Kumakhov's half-lens is that allows stress strain analysis in different sections of the investigated object. Here the investigation results are presented showing efficiency of using Kumakhov's lens in reducing noise, lessening width and increasing diffraction maximums' intensity, as well as towards better accuracy of determining their angle deviation. Use of x-ray capillary half-lens to create a spatially collimated quasi-parallel beam and of full capillary lens to focus x-ray permitted a functional combination of a diffraction and spectrometer units with PSD and energy-dispersion semiconductor detectors to enable simultaneous receipt of information about stress-strain condition and element composition, respectively. The quantitative assessment of the above parameters was done based on the in-house software. Element composition analysis including strain crystal lattice deformation of material in actual products makes it possible to distinguish between deformations that occurred at the stage of manufacture or acquired in the process of operation, and strain conditions due to local changes in element composition, which is an extremely important criterion of reliability of products. Information about product's changed percentage of chemical content in stress and strain localities will provide additional information assisting expert evaluation of reasons for metal structures failures.