Industrial 3D X-ray microscopy allows extraordinary detail to be revealed in microstructures
26/10/2018
3D X-ray microscopy (XRM) is a non-destructive imaging technique that provides internal 3D information in extraordinary detail for specimens, samples, equipment and parts. It encompasses a range of length scales, down to the submicron scale, and generates manipulable data, enabling quantitative analysis of 3D microstructures that it would not be possible to visualise using standard X-ray tomography or microfocus X-ray.This ability to deliver high resolution and contrast in three dimensions means that previously unseen features and flaws can be revealed in millimetres down to micrometres, as well as offering the opportunity to study samples in situ and examine how a microstructure changes over time, known as 4D imaging.
As a result of these attributes, XRM is highly relevant to a number of industries, including oil & gas, aerospace, medical and electronics, because it is a flexible, in-depth analysis process that provides highly precise information.
TWI offers a bespoke 3D X-ray microscopy service managed by non-destructive testing (NDT) experts who bring a wide range of practical experience across many sectors to clients’ projects and use the latest state-of-the-art equipment for scanning, inspection, analysis and interpretation.
Applications include the characterisation of materials, including those produced through additive manufacturing, observing the mechanics and performance of fractures in situ, the inspection of ceramics, plastics, weld samples and metal deposition, the investigation of components, filters, metal joints, nozzles, polymer fibres, powders and more, 4D/time-dependent tensile compression studies with temperature control/variation, failure analysis and package construction analysis, optimisation of manufacturing processes and proof of concept demonstration.
TWI uses superior, submicron X-ray imaging output data, which is produced and manipulated in house using the ZEISS Xradia Versa 520. This compositional contrast system has a true spatial resolution of 0.7 μm and a minimum voxel size of 70 nm. Other high-specification features include accuracy to 160 kV transmission nano-focus X-ray source, high resolution and contrast, wide-field mode and vertical stitching, high-aspect ratio tomography (HART) mode for flat samples and non-destructive interior tomography.
Dorothee Panggabean, Project Leader in Non-Destructive Testing, TWI, expanded on the service offered by TWI, stating: “The flexibility of 3D X-ray microscopy means that we have been able to provide assistance to clients such as batch scanning of components, confirmation of flaw location and/or issues in parts, assessment of fabrication efficiency between different manufacturing machines and enhancement of the customer’s own X-ray capacity to enable more detailed assessment and prognosis.”
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