Diffraction stress analysis of elastic grain interaction in polycrystalline materials

Recent insight on the elastic grain interaction in polycrystalline solids has been summarized. A breakthrough in this classical field of mechanical behaviour of solid bodies is due to highly accurate (X-ray) diffraction stress analysis. The occurrence of so-called direction-dependent grain interaction, i.e. different grain-interaction constraints prevail along different directions in a specimen, can be proven. Important practical examples of direction-dependent grain interaction are the occurrence of surface anisotropy in thin films (and, possibly, surface regions of bulk polycrystals) and the occurrence of a grain-shape (morphological) texture. Recent experimental investigations by X-ray (synchrotron) diffraction analysis and recent theoretical analysis have been reviewed.