ON-LINE X-RAY INSPECTION OF MATERIALS AND STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS USING DISCRETE ELEMENT X-RAY DETECTORS FOR DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHIC...

DISCRETE ELEMENT X-RAY DETECTORS DEVELOPED FOR MEDICAL COMPUTER TOMOGRAPHY ARE RECENTLY BEING APPLIED AS A DETECTION MEDIUM FOR INDUSTRIAL X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY. THE DETECTORS ARE DESIGNED WITH A WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE TO ACCOMMODATE THE MULTIPLE PATH DATA COLLECTION NECESSARY FOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY. IN THE STANDARD RADIOGRAPHIC INSPECTION MODE, THIS FEATURE ALLOWS THE EVALUATION OF A WIDE RANGE OF MATERIAL THICKNESS WITH ONE X-RAY EXPOSURE TECHNIQUE. THE DISCRETE ELEMENT NATURE OF THE DETECTORS ALSO MINIMIZES CROSSTALK, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING BLOOMING AND UNDERCUTTING WHICH OBSCURE THE EDGES IN IMAGES TAKEN WITH TRADITIONAL DETECTION TECHNIQUES. DETECTORS DESIGNED FOR INDUSTRIAL INSPECTION ALSO REQUIRE AN IMPROVED SPATIAL RESOLUTION TO SOLVE THE SMALL FEATURES NECESSARY FOR MANY MATERIAL EVALUATION APPLICATIONS. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY USING THESE HIGH PERFORMANCE DISCRETE ELEMENT DETECTORS AS A X-RAY DETECTION TOOL FOR ON-LINE CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS, SUCH AS METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES. DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY DATA COLLECTION WITH THIS DETECTOR TECHNOLOGY REQUIRES THAT THE MATERIAL BE MOVED OR PASSED BETWEEN THE X-RAY SOURCE AND THE DETECTORS AT SPEEDS UP TO 1 INCH PER SECOND. SAMPLES OF COMPOSITES WHICH ARE MANUFACTURED IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS, SUCH AS METAL MATRIX AND RESIN-BASED COMPOSITES, WILL BE COLLECTED FOR STUDY. REQUIRED X-RAY TESTING TECHNIQUES WILL BE COMPARED AGAINST PRACTICAL MANUFACTURING PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR COMPATIBILITY. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TESTING TECHNIQUE IN THE PARTICULAR APPLICATION WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE INSPECTION TECHNIQUE.