Quantitative Imaging of Crystalline Structural Information by Pulsed Neutron Transmission

Abstract

Bragg edge transmission imaging using pulsed neutrons is expected as a new evaluation tool for engineering materials because it can non-destructively examine crystalline structural information inside the bulk with high spatial resolution over wide area simultaneously. Methodology of quantitative imaging of crystal lattice strain was developed at ISIS. However, crystallographic texture and microstructure could not be quantitatively visualized although these are important factors for controlling strength, workability and electromagnetic properties of a material. Therefore, we developed the Rietveld-based comprehensive analysis code, RITS, for neutron transmission data. Furthermore, we successfully evaluated not only strain but also texture and crystallite size owing to the RITS code, and also carried out the verification experiment with a neutron powder diffractometer. In this article, the quantitative visualization of texture and crystallite size by the RITS code is mainly presented.