Phase analysis of engineering-scale materials using X-ray diffraction at MAX IV

Abstract

This bachelor project studies 316L stainless steel heat exchangers brazed with a nickel-based filler metal, using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. Experiments were performed at the DanMAX beamline at the MAX IV synchrotron facility, enabling high-resolution mapping of elemental distribution and crystallographic phases. XRF revealed elemental distribution in key elements such as Fe, Cr, Ni and Mo. XRD identified spatial distribution of phases, such as austenite, ferrite and more complex phases like MoCrFe and BCrFe near the brazed joints. A key objective was to demonstrate the effectiveness of synchrotron-based analytical techniques on non-lab-prepared samples, which was successfully confirmed. This project prepares for other analytical techniques, such as in situ mechanical testing at DanMAX which analyses the structural changes with applied stress.