X-Ray diffraction apparatus

Claim 2

An X-ray diffraction apparatus comprising: means for radiating a micro-beam of X-rays to a material; means capable of detecting the position and intensity distribution of diffracted X-ray from said material; means for obtaining the total misorientation or the diameter of a crystal subgrain on the basis of a signal of said diffracted X-ray detecting means; and means for obtaining the creep life consumption factor of said material from the relationship between the total strain and the loading time under the creep state that is in advance obtained for the same material.

Claim 3

The X-ray diffraction apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said diffracted X-ray detecting means comprises a first sensor for detecting the position of the diffracted X-ray and a second sensor for detecting the intensity distribution of the diffracted X-ray and is equipped with means for rotating said diffracted X-ray detecting means on its own axis and around an axis parallel to the radiating direction of the X-ray; said rotating means comprising means for rotating said diffracted X-ray detecting means around said micro-beam of X-rays and means for changing the gap between the axis of rotation of said rotating means and said diffracted X-ray detecting means; said first sensor comprising a single photodiode and said second sensor comprising an elongate array of photodiodes which are juxtaposed next to each other; and said means for rotating said diffracted X-ray detecting means on its own axis is so controlled, when said second sensor detects the intensity distribution of the diffracted X-ray, that the longitudinal direction of said photodiode array is orthogonal to the radial direction of said rotating means for rotating said diffracted X-ray detecting means around said micro-beam of X-rays.

Claim 4

The X-ray diffraction apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said means for radiating said micro-beam of X-rays comprises a cathode for generating thermoelectrons, an electromagnetic lens capable of adjustably contracting the stream of thermoelectrons impinging against an anode and a micro-beam double pin hole for allowing the passage of the X-ray generated from said anode therethrough and is equipped with a conventional beam double pin hole for obtaining a conventional beam of X-rays and with means for moving said double pin holes so that the holes of both of said double pin holes coincide with the axis of rotation of said rotating means; said second sensor detects the intensity distribution of the diffracted X-ray with respect to said conventional beam X-ray under the state in which the longitudinal direction of said photodiode array coincides with the radial direction of said rotating means; and said X-ray diffraction apparatus further includes means for obtaining a half-value width on the basis of the detection signal of said second sensor, means for obtaining the fatigue life consumption factor with respect to the fatigue damage from the relationship between the ratio of the half-value width obtained in advance for the same material, the number of stress cycles and the number of fracture cycles on the basis of the signal of said half-value width operating means; and means for obtaining the residual life under the action of the fatigue and the creep from said fatigue life consumption factor and said creep life consumption factor.

Claim 5

An X-ray diffraction apparatus for irradiating a material with X-rays and detecting the X-rays diffracted therefrom, comprising means for radiating a bundle of X-rays to said material, said means for radiating including changing means for selectively providing said bundle in the form of either a micro-beam or a conventional beam of X-rays, means for detecting diffracted X-rays, said detecting means comprising a first sensor for detecting the position of the diffracted X-rays and a second sensor for detecting the intensity distribution of diffracted X-rays, means for rotating said detecting means about the axis of the X-ray beam applied to said material, means for moving said detecting means in a radial direction with respect to the axis of said X-ray beam, and means for rotating said detectng means about its own axis.

Claim 6

An X-ray diffraction apparatus for irradiating a material with X-rays and detecting the X-rays diffracted therefrom, comprising means for radiating a bundle of X-rays to said material, said means for radiating including changing means for selectively providing said bundle in the form of either a micro-beam or a conventional beam of X-rays, means for detecting diffracted X-rays, said detecting means comprising a first sensor for detecting the position of the diffracted X-rays and a second sensor for detecting the intensity distribution of diffracted X-rays, means for rotating said detecting means about the axis of the X-ray beam applied to said material, means for moving said detecting means in a radial direction with respect to the axis of said X-ray beam, and means for rotating said detectng means about its own axis.

Claim 7

The X-ray diffraction apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said first sensor is a single photodiode and said second sensor is an elongate array of photodiodes which are juxtaposed next to each other.

Claim 8

The X-ray diffraction apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said means for rotating said diffracted X-ray detecting means on its own axis is so constructed that at least the longitudinal direction of the photodiode array of said second sensor can be arranged in a tangential or a radial direction with respect to a circular path along which said detecting means is moved when rotating about the axis of the X-ray beam applied to said material.

Claim 9

The X-ray diffraction apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said means for radiating a bundle of X-rays to said material comprises a cathode for generating thermoelectrons, and electromagnetic lens capable of adjustably contracting the stream of thermoelectrons impinging against an anode and a double pin hole for allowing the passage of a bundle of X-rays generated from said anode therethrough, said double pin hole being one of a micro-beam double pin hole and a conventional beam double pin hole, and wherein said changing means for selectively providing said bundle of X-rays in the form of either a micro-beam or a conventional beam of X-rays comprises means for moving said double pin holes so that the holes of a selected one of said double pin holes coincide with the axis of rotation of said rotating means.