Study on the morphology of bulk hydrides by synchrotron X-ray tomography

The morphologies of hydrides was studied using synchrotron X-ray at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) using Diffraction Contrast Tomography (DCT). Diffraction Contrast Tomography is a relatively new technique that uses simultaneous collection of tomographic and diffraction data to reconstruct the 3D microstructural volume; in this case precipitates and matrix grains, while providing crystallographic orientation of neighbouring matrix grains. Previously the method was limited to light metals such as Al or Mg (due to the use of 8-30 keV X-rays). Here we show the first DCT measurements in a high atomic number metal zirconium using high energy X-rays (60 keV).