Neutron Stress Measurement of W/Ti Composite in Cryogenic Temperatures Using Time-of-Flight Method

Abstract

In this study, the thermal stress alterations generated in a tungsten fiber reinforced titanium composite (W/Ti composite) were evaluated by the neutron stress measurement method at cryogenic temperatures. The W/Ti composite thermal loads were repeated from room temperature to the cryogenic temperature (10 K), and alterations in thermal residual stress were evaluated using the neutron in situ stress measurement method. In this measurement, the stress alterations in the titanium matrix and the tungsten fibers were measured. This measurement was carried out by TAKUMI (MLF-BL19) of J-PARC, a neutron research facility in the Japan Atomic Agency. The measurement method of TAKUMI is the time-of-flight (TOF) method. Owing to this measurement method, the measurement time was significantly shortened compared to the angle-dispersion type measurement by a diffractometer. As a result of the measurement, large compressive stresses of about 1 GPa were generated in the tungsten fibers, and tensile stresses of about 100 MPa existed in the titanium matrix. The thermal stresses due to the temperature change between room temperature and cryogenic temperature is caused by the difference of thermal expansions between the tungsten fibers and the titanium matrix, and these stress values can be approximated by a simple elastic theory equation.

Keywords

• composite materials
• thermal stresses
• neutron diffraction
• time-of-flight
• in situ stress measurement