Comparison of diffraction methods for measurement of surface damage in superalloys

Surface damage from machining operations is a potential source of failure in metallic components. The ability to quantitatively characterize the depth and extent of the damage layer is critical to controlling the machining process. Electron back scattered diffraction and synchrotron high energy x-ray diffraction were applied to the measurement of machining surface damage in a Ni-based super alloy. Both techniques clearly showed a plastic deformation profile below the surface as a function of the machining conditions used. Using the average intragrain misorientation parameter, the electron back scattered diffraction was able to quantify the amount of surface damage from one surface treatment to another. In addition, the x-ray diffraction measurements were able to simultaneously measure the elastic strain as a function of depth from the surface.