Improvement of neutron diffraction at compact accelerator-driven neutron source RANS using peak profile deconvolution and delayed neutron reduction for stress measurements

Iwamoto, Chihiro*; Takamura, Masato*; Ueno, Kota*; Kataoka, Minami*; Kurihara, Ryo*; Xu, P. G.   ; Otake, Yoshie*

Neutron diffraction is a powerful non-destructive method for evaluating the microscopic structure and internal stress of metal plates as a bulk average. Precise neutron diffraction measurements with a high intensity neutron beam have already been carried out at large-scale neutron facilities. However, it is not easy to provide users with enough experimental opportunities. We are working on upgrading the neutron diffractometer with techniques of time-of-flight to enable stress measurements at RIKEN accelerator-driven compact neutron source (RANS). To improve neutron diffraction resolution, delayed neutrons, which expand neutron beam pulse width, should be suppressed. However, it is difficult to separate the delayed neutrons experimentally. In this study, a new analysis method has been proposed to deconvolute the diffraction peak from the delayed neutron component. Moreover, a new collimator system, called decoupled collimator system, has been developed to reduce the number of delayed neutrons. The diffraction patterns from a powder sample of pure body-centered cubic iron were measured with the decoupled collimator and the diffraction peak of {211} reflection was analyzed by the new analysis method using a model function of a single exponential decay function convoluted with a Gaussian function. By this method, the decoupled collimator system has been confirmed to achieve a smaller measurement limit of lattice strain than a small-aperture polyethylene collimator system and a non-collimator system. The currently available was 6.710, this means that the internal stress up to 130 MPa can be well evaluated for steel materials with a Young's modulus of 200 GPa at RANS.