FEASIBILITY OF INSPECTING HIGH-Z CASTINGS USING X-RAY OR GAMMA-RAY TECHNIQUES

WE PROPOSE TO EVALUATE TRANSMISSION, FLUORESCENCE, AND BACKSCATTERING TECHNIQUES OF X-RAYS OR GAMMA-RAYS TO DETERMINE DEFECTS IN HIGH-Z CASTINGS. THE PROPOSAL INCLUDES X-RAY SPECTRAL ANALYSIS, FOLLOWED BY EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENTS ON ACTUAL SAMPLES, TO DETERMINE OPTIMUM DESIGN PARAMETERS AND THE MINIMUM SIZE OF DEFECT THAT CAN BE DETECTED. UNDER FAVORABLE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS, BOTH THE PARAMETERS AND THE OPERATING CONCEPT FOR AN OPTIMUM INSTRUMENT CAN BE DEFINED AT THE END OF PHASE I, FOR THE EVENTUAL FABRICATION OF A PROTOTYPE IN PHASE II.