Tomography

Tomography is a sectional imaging technique used in materials science. A computed tomography (CT) scan uses X-ray measurements from a range of angles to produce cross-sectional (tomographic) images of specific areas of a scanned sample. Data can be manipulated to visually reformat a sample in various planes, or even as volumetric three-dimensional representation of a material structure.

The Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility at The University of Manchester, with more than ten instruments and access to the Diamond Light Source Synchrotron, is a comprehensive suite of X-ray instruments, with imaging capability down to nanometre resolution and accommodating samples up to 200mm, depending on instrument.  The facility also has an scanning electron microscope hosted Gatan X-Ray Ultramicroscope enabling non-destructive internal structural imaging and 3-D X-ray tomography.  A range of in-situ testing equipment is available – tensile and compression test rigs, nanoindentation, high pressure, high temperature flow and a furnace (to 650°C).  Similar instruments are also available at our other three partner universities.

ICAM equipment includes:

• Zeiss Xradia 810 Ultra at The University of Manchester. The highest resolution (down to 50nm) X-ray tomography system commercially available.
• High Flux Bay The University of Manchester. Designed for time-lapse X-ray CT which can accommodate in-situ rigs for compression, tension, torsion, fatigue, fluid flow or specimen heating.
• Rapidscan RTT110 The University of Manchester. An instrument for the rapid imaging of airport baggage which has been adapted to allow for the fast scanning of materials science samples.
• 3D X-ray CT the University of Cambridge for in-situ characterisation of the composition, deformation and damage development of materials.
• Rigaku Nano 3DX at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. An X-ray microscope (XRM) with the ability to deliver 3D computed tomography (CT) images of relatively large samples at high resolution.