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What is micro CT?
Micro-computed tomography (microCT) has become a standard tool for materials science research as it can efficiently produce quantitative 3D images of nearly any sample. As the reconstructions are generated with non-destructive X-rays, you can gain a complete understanding of the sample without specimen damage and without the need for any additional preparation. Internal structure, geometry, and composition are readily accessible without staining, slicing, cutting, or cross-sectioning. This can subsequently serve as a survey scan for further (typically destructive) analysis with higher resolution techniques such as nanometer-resolution serial sectioning with electron microscopy.
The versatility of microCT means that the technique can be employed across a wide range of applications. For example, the lifetime and reliability of lithium-ion batteries depends greatly on contaminants and defects that develop throughout the life of the battery. A cost-effective, reliable, and artifact-free scanning method that can be applied to the sample multiple times provides structural and temporal insight for quality control and failure analysis.
Heliscan MicroCT
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Conventional microCT tools produce the 3D reconstruction from a series of “tomograms” which are the two-dimensional images generated by a circular X-ray sweep around the sample. These images are stacked into a cylindrical representation of the sample and stitched together to form the final reconstruction. This produces significant artifacts due to misalignments during the stitching process. The Thermo Scientific HeliScan microCT avoids this by observing the sample in one continuous helical scan, which does not require image stitching.
HeliScan microCT offers the versatility needed to obtain quantitative 3D images across a wide range of materials science applications, including additive manufacturing as well as battery and petroleum science research. Due to the helical single-scan capability of the instrument, stitch-free scanning of large volumes is possible with fast acquisition, high resolution, automated sample alignment, and much more.
Dramatically increased signal-to-noise ratio due to the higher X-ray flux of the HeliScan system (right).
On-demand Webinar: Advanced microCT for non-destructive material characterization
This webinar will:
- Demonstrate the versatility of HeliScan microCT for analyzing materials from very dense steels to light, 3D printed polymers;
- Reveal how to obtain insights into the microstructure of larger volumes of a wide variety of materials at high resolution;
- Show how easy it is to use the automated workflow.
On-demand Webinar: X-Ray Tomography Big and Small: The Versatility of CT for Characterization of Soft Materials
Attend this webinar to:
- Learn about the use of HeliScan microCT for non-destructive characterization of soft materials at high contrast
- Get insights to the use of HeliScan microCT for various sizes of samples and large volumes
- Understand how microCT technology improves the understanding of the internal morphology of 3D structures
Segmentation of a fiber-reinforced polymer, showing fibers and voids, produced with the HeliScan MicroCT.
HeliScan MicroCT makes it possible to produce stitch-free high-resolution 3D models, as is shown here with the 3D reconstruction of an entire battery.
Ruby spheres separated by known distances are used for unique self-calibrating metrology, providing quantitative distance calibration on the HeliScan MicroCT. Sphere distances obtained from the tomograms are compared to the physical sphere distances to ascertain accuracy.
With HeliScan MicroCT, something as big as a diesel-engine oil filter (200 mm x 105 mm) can be analyzed in one sweep with a 40-micron resolution.
Titanium airplane component created via additive manufacturing (left) with a 55 mm diameter area highlighted via the region-of-interest mode (right) with a voxel size of 6.7 µm³.
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On-demand Webinar: Advanced microCT for non-destructive material characterization
This webinar will:
- Demonstrate the versatility of HeliScan microCT for analyzing materials from very dense steels to light, 3D printed polymers;
- Reveal how to obtain insights into the microstructure of larger volumes of a wide variety of materials at high resolution;
- Show how easy it is to use the automated workflow.
On-demand Webinar: X-Ray Tomography Big and Small: The Versatility of CT for Characterization of Soft Materials
Attend this webinar to:
- Learn about the use of HeliScan microCT for non-destructive characterization of soft materials at high contrast
- Get insights to the use of HeliScan microCT for various sizes of samples and large volumes
- Understand how microCT technology improves the understanding of the internal morphology of 3D structures
Segmentation of a fiber-reinforced polymer, showing fibers and voids, produced with the HeliScan MicroCT.
HeliScan MicroCT makes it possible to produce stitch-free high-resolution 3D models, as is shown here with the 3D reconstruction of an entire battery.
Ruby spheres separated by known distances are used for unique self-calibrating metrology, providing quantitative distance calibration on the HeliScan MicroCT. Sphere distances obtained from the tomograms are compared to the physical sphere distances to ascertain accuracy.
With HeliScan MicroCT, something as big as a diesel-engine oil filter (200 mm x 105 mm) can be analyzed in one sweep with a 40-micron resolution.
Titanium airplane component created via additive manufacturing (left) with a 55 mm diameter area highlighted via the region-of-interest mode (right) with a voxel size of 6.7 µm³.
Documents
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