Many fields, from aerospace engineering to cultural heritage, can benefit from x-ray micro computed tomography (micro-CT). However, access to x-ray imaging tools remains limited for non-expert users. The UK’s National X-Ray Computed Tomography facility (NXCT) therefore aims to provide access and expert support to academia and industry. As part of the NXCT, at UCL we have developed a unique user facility with multi-scale and multi-contrast x-ray micro-CT capabilities. Our custom system has an x-ray generator with Molybdenum and Copper targets, which can be changed to adapt the energy to the needs of an imaging experiment. The x-rays are emitted on both sides of the source allowing for two imaging stations: one at mm-sized field-of-view (FOV) with resolutions of around 1μm, the “high-resolution station”; and one at cm-sized FOV with resolutions of around 10μm, the “large FOV station”. The high-resolution station is fitted with a custom mirror which gives a monochromatic beam at 17.5keV (for Mo) and 8keV (for Cu). Both stations can be operated with phase-contrast methods such as free-space propagation or beam tracking. Access to this new imaging facility, dedicated to academic and industrial users, is supported through free-at-the-point-of-access and paid schemes.
X-ray dark-field imaging is used to visualize the ultra-small angle x-ray scattering signal that originates from sub-resolution density fluctuations within the sample microstructure. Dark-field tomography using the edge-illumination x-ray imaging system is presented as a tool for measuring this scattering signal in a sample in three dimensions. Its applicability to different fields is shown through example images of a multi-material phantom, a tissue-engineered esophagus, a pouch cell battery and a short-fiber reinforced composite material. The multichannel contrast available in edge-illumination helps with material identification, with high contrast at boundaries enhancing dark-field reconstructions.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.