Elastic properties determined from in situ X-ray diffraction

In situ powder diffraction experiments were performed at the Swiss Light Source MS4 beamline on specimens under tensile deformation. Evaluation of the intensity and position of several Bragg peaks as a function of the applied tensile load allows the average elastic properties of grains as well as of the macroscopic sample to be determined without the necessity of accurate macroscopic strain measurements. The feasibility of the method developed is demonstrated for polycrystalline Si.