Synchrotron x-ray methods for evaluation of residual stress

Synchrotron light sources are dedicated x-ray characterization facilities for cutting edge research across a broad variety of application domains. These exceptionally bright sources are leveraged for the non-destructive investigation of residual stresses in crystalline materials through x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Synchrotron XRD techniques for residual stress characterization cover a broad range of critical length-scales: from micron-resolved interrogation of sub-grain gradients to continuum measurements through centimeters-thick metallic parts. This presentation will briefly review these methods as well as describe ongoing efforts by AFRL and collaborators to transform synchrotron x-ray techniques into engineering tools.