IMAX – A COMPACT X-RAY MICROTOMOGRAPHY INSTRUMENT FOR MATERIAL RESEARCH

As the methods, instrumentation, and resolution of three-dimensional spatial analysis have improved over the past twenty years, it is now possible to image the internal microstructure of multiphase materials in detail in three dimensions. Three-dimensional X-ray microtomography offers a unique opportunity for high spatial resolution imaging that can be achieved in compact desktop systems using X-ray microfocus sources. Recently, a modern desktop cone-beam X-ray microtomography system for quantitative analysis of materials in three dimensions was installed at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This paper presents the design, description of the main components, and technical parameters of this X-ray microtomography system, called IMAX. This system is designed to acquire, process, store X-ray images, and reconstruct three-dimensional data from angular projections for the study of internal structures and non-destructive testing of materials. The system consists of a microfocus X-ray source providing an X-ray energy range from 35 to 80 keV, a flat panel scintillation detector system allowing high-resolution digital imaging, optomechanical platforms for sample positioning, and radiation shielding. The first results of test measurements using this X-ray system are presented.