Clarke Amy, Imhoff Seth, Gibbs Paul, Cooley Jason, Morris Christopher, Merrill Frank, Hollander Brian, Mariam Fesseha, Ott Thomas, Barker Martha, Tucker Tim, Lee Wah-Keat, Fezzaa Kamel, Deriy Alex, Patterson Brian, Clarke Kester, Montalvo Joel, Field Robert, Thoma Dan, Smith James, Teter David
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
Sci Rep. 2013;3:2020. doi: 10.1038/srep02020.
Historically, metals are cut up and polished to see the structure and to infer how processing influences the evolution. We can now peer into a metal during processing without destroying it using proton radiography. Understanding the link between processing and structure is important because structure profoundly affects the properties of engineering materials. Synchrotron x-ray radiography has enabled real-time glimpses into metal solidification. However, x-ray energies favor the examination of small volumes and low density metals. Here we use high energy proton radiography for the first time to image a large metal volume (>10,000 mm(3)) during melting and solidification. We also show complementary x-ray results from a small volume (<1 mm(3)), bridging four orders of magnitude. Real-time imaging will enable efficient process development and the control of structure evolution to make materials with intended properties; it will also permit the development of experimentally informed, predictive structure and process models.
从历史上看，金属需要切割和抛光才能观察其结构，并推断加工过程如何影响其演变。现在，我们可以在加工过程中使用质子射线照相术窥视金属内部，而不会破坏它。了解加工与结构之间的联系很重要，因为结构会深刻影响工程材料的性能。同步加速器X射线照相术能够实时观察金属凝固过程。然而，X射线能量有利于检查小体积和低密度金属。在这里，我们首次使用高能质子射线照相术对大型金属体积（>10,000立方毫米）在熔化和凝固过程中进行成像。我们还展示了小体积（<1立方毫米）的互补X射线结果，跨越了四个数量级。实时成像将有助于高效的工艺开发和对结构演变的控制，从而制造出具有预期性能的材料；它还将有助于开发基于实验的、预测性的结构和工艺模型。
