Development of synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature

A multi-modal high pressure and high temperature reaction cell for combined x-ray spectroscopy, scattering, and imaging

A free-standing and compact reaction cell for combined in situ/operando x-ray spectroscopy, scattering, and imaging measurements at high pressures and high temperatures is described. The cell permits measurements under realistic operating conditions (up to 50 bar and 1000 °C), under static and flow conditions (up to 100 ml/min), over a wide range of hard x-ray energies, variable detection modes (transmission, fluorescence, and scattering), and at all angles of rotation. An operando XAS, x-ray fluorescence, x-ray computed tomography, and x-ray diffraction computed tomography case study on the reduction of a heterogeneous catalyst is presented to illustrate the performance of the reaction cell.

Deformation of two-phase aggregates with in situ X-ray tomography in rotating Paris-Edinburgh cell at GPa pressures and high temperature

High-pressure (>1 GPa) torsion apparatus can be coupled with in situ X-ray tomography (XRT) to study microstructures in materials associated with large shear strains. Here, deformation experiments were carried out on multi-phase aggregates at ∼3-5 GPa and ∼300-500°C, using a rotational tomography Paris-Edinburgh press (RoToPEc) with in situ absorption contrast XRT on the PSICHE beamline at Synchrotron SOLEIL. The actual shear strain reached in the samples was quantified with respect to the anvil twisting angles, which is γ ≤ 1 at 90° anvil twist and reaches γ ≃ 5 at 225° anvil twist. 2D and 3D quantifications based on XRT that can be used to study in situ the deformation microfabrics of two-phase aggregates at high shear strain are explored. The current limitations for investigation in real time of deformation microstructures using coupled synchrotron XRT with the RoToPEc are outlined.

Quantitative 4D X-ray microtomography under extreme conditions: a case study on magma migration

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is a well known method for three-dimensional characterization of materials that is established as a powerful tool in high-pressure/high-temperature research. The optimization of synchrotron beamlines and the development of fast high-efficiency detectors now allow the addition of a temporal dimension to tomography studies under extreme conditions. Presented here is the experimental setup developed on the PSICHE beamline at SOLEIL to perform high-speed XCT in the Ultra-fast Tomography Paris-Edinburgh cell (UToPEc). The UToPEc is a compact panoramic (165° angular aperture) press optimized for fast tomography that can access 10 GPa and 1700°C. It is installed on a high-speed rotation stage (up to 360° s^-1) and allows the acquisition of a full computed tomography (CT) image with micrometre spatial resolution within a second. This marks a major technical breakthrough for time-lapse XCT and the real-time visualization of evolving dynamic systems. In this paper, a practical step-by-step guide to the use of the technique is provided, from the collection of CT images and their reconstruction to performing quantitative analysis, while accounting for the constraints imposed by high-pressure and high-temperature experimentation. The tomographic series allows the tracking of key topological parameters such as phase fractions from 3D volumetric data, and also the evolution of morphological properties (e.g. volume, flatness, dip) of each selected entity. The potential of this 4D tomography is illustrated by percolation experiments of carbonate melts within solid silicates, relevant for magma transfers in the Earth's mantle.

Correlation of Materials Property and Performance with Internal Structures Evolvement Revealed by Laboratory X-ray Tomography

Although X-rays generated from a laboratory-based tube cannot be compared with synchrotron radiation in brilliance and monochromaticity, they are still viable and accessible in-house for ex situ or interrupted in situ X-ray tomography. This review mainly demonstrates recent works using laboratory X-ray tomography coupled with the measurements of properties or performance testing under various conditions, such as thermal, stress, or electric fields. Evolvements of correlated internal structures for some typical materials were uncovered. The damage features in a graded metallic 3D mesh and a metallic glass under mechanical loading were revealed and investigated. Micro-voids with thermal treatment and void healing phenomenon with electropulsing were clearly demonstrated and quantitatively analyzed. The substance transfer around an electrode of a Li-S battery and the protective performance of a Fe-based metallic glass coating on stainless steel were monitored through electrochemical processes. It was shown that in situ studies of the laboratory X-ray tomography were suitable for the investigation of structure change under controlled conditions and environments. An extension of the research for in situ laboratory X-ray tomography can be expected with supplementary novel techniques for internal strain, global 3D grain orientation, and a fast tomography strategy.

High-speed tomography under extreme conditions at the PSICHE beamline of the SOLEIL Synchrotron

In situ microtomography at high pressure and temperature has developed rapidly in the last decade, driven by the development of new high-pressure apparatus. It is now routinely possible to characterize material under high pressure with acquisition times for tomograms of the order of tens of minutes. Here, advantage was taken of the possibility to combine the use of a pink beam projected through a standard Paris-Edinburgh press in order to demonstrate the possibility to perform high-speed synchrotron X-ray tomography at high pressure and temperature allowing complete high-resolution tomograms to be acquired in about 10 s. This gives direct visualization to rapidly evolving or unstable systems, such as flowing liquids or reacting components, and avoids assumptions in the interpretation of quenched samples. Using algebraic reconstruction techniques allows the missing angle artefacts that result from the columns of the press to be minimized.