X-ray tomography laboratory
The X-ray tomography laboratory is run by the Multiscale Materials Characterization research group. The primary research facility within the laboratory includes several tomographic scanners spanning a wide resolution range:
- Xradia nanoXCT-100, 50 nm or 130 nm resolution.
- Xradia microXCT-400, 1.5 µm to 3 µm resolution.
- JTomo, 5 µm to 70 µm resolution.
- JTomo-MV (experimental), ~0.3 mm resolution.
Together, these devices are capable of non-intrusive three-dimensional imaging of the internal structure of heterogeneous materials with resolution ranging from 0.3 mm up to 50 nm. The laboratory is equipped with a comprehensive set of instruments for sample preparation and manipulation, and specific devices for measuring various mechanical and transport properties of materials. The entire facility has a high utilization rate in basic and applied research related, e.g., to the development of novel organic materials, and the analysis of structural and transport properties of complex materials such as composites and bentonite clay.
The key features of the devices are given in the tables below.
| Device | Spatial resolutions [µm] | Sample size [mm] | Typical scan time [h] |
|---|---|---|---|
| JTomo | 5-70 | 7-100 | 0.1-4 |
| Xradia microXCT-400 | 1.5 (20x) 2.1 (10x) 3.0 (5x) |
1.2 2.2 4.0 |
20 15 8 |
| Xradia nanoXCT-100 | 0.05 0.13 |
0.01 0.06 |
48 24 |
| JTomo-MV (experimental) | ~300 | 300 | 2 |
| Device | Source voltage [kV] | Source power [W] | Min. spot size [µm] |
|---|---|---|---|
| JTomo | 40-150 | 1-75 | 5 @ 4 W |
| Xradia microXCT-400 | 20-90 | 1-8 | 5* @ 4 W |
| Xradia nanoXCT-100 | 40** | 1200 | 70 |
| JTomo-MV (experimental) | 6000 or 15000 | ~500 |
* The device employs optical magnification to increase imaging resolution beyond what could be achieved by geometrical magnification.
** 8 keV energy is used for imaging
Supplementary equipment and sample preparation
Supplementary equipment allows tomographic scanning of samples in specific temperatures (approximately -20 C - 100 C), controlled relative humidity, under tension or compression (max. 50 N). Several in-situ stages for environmental control and flow experiments are available.
In addition to the tomographic devices, the laboratory is equipped with extensive sample preparation systems:
- Leica Z16 APO zoom microscope, 1500 lp/mm resolution; equipped with Sensapex micromanipulators and high-intensity light sources.
- QuikLaze 50 laser cutting system.
- Wide field-of-view zoom stereo-microscope with a milling system.
- Machining equipment specialized in the preparation of small samples.
Access
The X-ray tomography laboratory is open to both scientific and industrial experiments. Access options together with references are specified on a separate page.
