Collaboration of large and compact neutron facilities for the development of neutron diffraction material evaluation techniques

Xu, P. G.   ; Iwamoto, Chihiro*; Yamamoto, Kazuyoshi ; Morooka, Satoshi  ; Takamura, Masato*; Wu, S.*; Otake, Yoshie*; Shobu, Takahisa  

Considering the large potential applications of neutron diffraction techniques, close cooperation has been carried out to realize the rapid development of various neutron instruments, involving in the steady-state reactor neutron source at Japan Research Reactor No.3 (JRR-3), the large spallation neutron source at J-PARC, the compact neutron source at RANS. Based on the experience of developing the TAKUMI time-of-flight texture measurement technique at J-PARC neutron facility, the high stereographic angle resolution has been utilized to the panel division of the RANS neutron position-sensitive detector to realize the bulk texture evaluation of IF steel using a compact neutron source. Furthermore, the angle dispersive neutron diffractograms from all sample orientations during the RESA neutron diffraction experiment at JRR-3 neutron facility have been employed to carry out the Rietveld texture analysis simultaneously and to realize the reliable texture evaluations of complex crystal structure materials. Nondestructive stress measurement contributes significantly to the design and manufacture of mechanical structures aimed at high performance, high reliability, and long life, and improves the reliability and structure integrity of a wide range of machinery and structures, including machine gears, high-speed train axles, automobile and rocket engines, infrastructure structures, and welded structures simulating power plants, etc. Our recent neutron transport simulation about RANS has already reproduced the measured compact neutron diffractograms of BCC Fe powder at various stereographic orientations, suggesting the future simulation work will be highly valuable to optimize the related technical conditions of RANS neutron instruments for compact stress measurements.