In situ compact tensile test device for polymer nanocomposite specimens to be analyzed in an x-ray microdiffractometer

X-ray diffraction is a non-destructive technique for structural analysis of materials. Applications include the evaluation of the residual stresses in real components, wherein the crystalline planes are used as strain gauges. In case of polymer nanocomposites, this technique allows to study the filler structural changes, in particular its orientation as a function of polymer deformation. A tensile test device to apply uniaxial stretching on polymer nanocomposite specimens has been designed and built to equip a commercial X-ray microdiffractometer. The main feature of this compact device is allowing setting the specimen strain up to 400% inside the microdiffractometer. X-ray diffraction measurements are carried out at different strains at the same point without removing the sample from the stage. The maximum load applied to the specimen is 100 N. We report the design phases and the results of preliminary tests on commercial rubber samples