X-ray Computed Tomography for Non-Destructive Testing

Several important technological and economic trends are shaping the research on non-destructive testing techniques. They include increasing computerisation and automation, fusion of different NDT methods, new market expansions, use of the techniques as a process control tool, and a proliferation of merges, consolidations and joint ventures. Other important factors such as the development of new materials, the safety requirements in the civilian aerospace and the automotive sector, and awareness of plant maintenance have strongly increased the purchases of NDT equipment and services. Advanced computer technology is also enabling end users to quantitatively size flaws to better estimate the danger posed by such flaws. Rather than waiting to be forced to adopt non-destructive inspection techniques in order to meet safety standards, end users are willingly utilising these more efficient methods as a cost-saving and quality improvement measure. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is also a NDT product of these ongoing developments. In the last two decades microfocus X-ray (μCT) has become a very important tool for doctors, material scientists, geologists, biologists, civil engineers, bio-engineers, dentists, etc., all dealing with materials of which the fine internal structure or the changes within the material are of outmost importance to understand the behaviour of the material or to have insights in the processes going on. μCT is now well accepted in those disciplines as well as submicron or nanotomography facilities. This keynote paper addresses the μand nanoCTbased research results linked to the activities of the research group ‘Materials Performance and Non-Destructive Testing’ of the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering (MTM) in collaboration with other research groups of the KU Leuven and the SCK•CEN laboratory. The goal is to present a wide variety of application fields and to show how μand nanoCT can be applied as an NDT technique for quality control, the study of the material behaviour and its functional properties under specified environmental conditions, and production and material optimization.