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In Situ Experiments with X ray Tomography: an Attractive Tool for Experimental Mechanics

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Abstract

This paper aims at illustrating the potential of X-ray tomography for studying the mechanical behaviour of materials through in situ experiments. Typical experimental tomography set ups which use laboratory and synchrotron X ray sources are described; advantages and limitations of both types of sources are presented. Dedicated experimental devices which allow deformation and/or temperature changes to be applied to various types of materials are described. Examples of results of in situ mechanical experiments are presented and discussed; they include monotonic tensile testing of steel fiber entanglements, high temperature compression and room temperature fatigue of Al alloys. Examples of quantitative assessment of localisation of deformation in the interior of optically opaque samples under mechanical loading are also described.

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Notes

  1. 3D equivalent to the 2D pixel.

  2. Non circular movement of the sample during rotation.

  3. See for example the following website http://www.esrf. eu/UsersAndScience/Experiments/Imaging/ID19/Software/ring correction for an implementation of a software which removes those rings on reconstructed images.

  4. www.esrf.fr/computing/scientific/HST/HST_REF/hst.html

  5. This design was originally used by an American group for studying composites under load [38].

  6. Compared to PMMA used for the mechanical devices, quartz gives a slightly higher but still acceptable attenuation.

  7. The image quality is slightly reduced by the binning mode as well as by the reduced number of views but it remains sufficiently good to allow a precise analysis of the microstructure.

  8. Diffraction contrast tomography, mentioned above is sensitive to the internal stress level but has not yet been applied as such.

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Acknowledgements

P. Michaud and C. Touboulic from INSA Lyon are acknowledged for the design and manufacturing of the various deformation stages shown in this paper. The steel wool was kindly provided by O Bouaziz, Arcelor research. The authors also whish to acknowledge H. Kloecker (Ecole des Mines, Saint Etienne) for providing the machined AA5182 hot deformation samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSA-Lyon MATEIS CNRS UMR 5510, LyonTech Campus Bat Saint Exupery 25 Av. Jean Capelle, 69621, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    J. -Y. Buffiere, E. Maire & J. Adrien

  2. SIMaP, 1130 rue de la Piscine, BP 75, 38402, Saint Martin d’Heres Cedex, France

    J. -P. Masse

  3. ESRF, 6, rue Jules Horowitz, BP 220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex 9, France

    E. Boller

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  1. J. -Y. Buffiere
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Correspondence to J. -Y. Buffiere.

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This is the 3rd in a series of featured review articles to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Experimental Mechanics. These articles serve to touch on both areas of mechanics where the journal has contributed extensively in the past and emergent areas for the future.

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Buffiere, J.Y., Maire, E., Adrien, J. et al. In Situ Experiments with X ray Tomography: an Attractive Tool for Experimental Mechanics. Exp Mech 50, 289–305 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-010-9333-7

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