Development of a prototype pipework scanning system based upon energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD)

A prototype pipework scanning system based upon energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) has been produced, for which system development and preliminary results are presented here. This apparatus has been developed from experience with 2D and 3D bench-top EDXRD systems and comprises a conventional industrial X-ray tube coupled to a bespoke design of tungsten collimators and compact CdTe detector. It is designed as a robust system, rather than delicate lab-based system, to investigate sections of stainless steel pipework for structural changes induced through quenching the steel in liquid nitrogen, and damaging effects such as chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Given the properties of tungsten, namely its brittle nature, a complex programme of electro-discharge machining (EDM) has been devised to precisely manufacture the collimators from a series of sintered tungsten blocks. Preliminary measurements have focused on calibrating the system using the extreme ferrite and austenite phases, meeting a pre-requisite benchmark for attempting more challenging measurements such as the austenite to martensite transformation and investigations of SCC in these sections of pipework.