Beyond 3D - Tomographic Methodology, data analysis and application in material science as an integrated approach for dynamic and high throughput microscopy (Beyond 3D)

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Hans-Georg Herrmann
• Subject Area: Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials ; Mechanical Properties of Metallic Materials and their Microstructural Origins
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316923640

We propose a complementary X-Ray Microscopy concept, consisting of a high resolution and a high speed CT system.To realize a mesoscale and high throughput material structure analysis we propose an integrated approach including the three main research areas Tomography Methodology, Data Analysis and Applications in Materials Science X-ray microscopy as a new emerging field in high resolution computed tomography has the potential to solve numerous problems in materials science. For this purpose, not only state-of-the-art instruments and methods should be applied to different materials, but also new approaches should be developed and tested in further projects. To stay abreast of changes the proposed instrumentation should have proven to already work properly but it should also have the option to integrate new experimental approaches. For realization of these tasks, a complementary X-Ray Microscopy concept, consisting of a high resolution and a high speed CT, is proposed as apparatus concept. High throughput will be realized by using an already existing microCT-system (>200 kV, transmission target, focal spot size < 1 µm), which shall be provided by Fraunhofer IzfP for this project and upgraded with two exchangeable in-situ stages (for fatigue experiments up to 400 N peak force and for dynamic stress/strain applications up to 15 kN). For an ongoing and fundamental understanding of local defect formation and development a complementary high resolution analysis (down to 60 nm voxel size) is obligatory for selected samples and will be enabled by the XRM-II microscope, based on direct magnification microscopy, allowing variable magnifications between 100x to 1000x corresponding to a voxel size between 60 nm (0.12 mm field of view) and 600 nm (1.2 mm field of view). Starting from a research question in the material science discipline, high throughput and /or high resolution tomography is performed. Hereby, the term high-throughput is interpreted in a wider sense and can refer to either simultaneous tomography of a space of material parameters via a grid, or the imaging of dynamic processes, or hierarchical imaging using a multiscale approach. After tomography, a data processing step is always required to transfer the large amounts of raw data to statistical relevant, quantitative information that can be used to confirm or discard the original hypothesis. Based on the extracted information, the loop to material science is closed via the formation of new models, prediction and optimization of material parameters and ultimately, the formation of new hypothesis.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: Röntgenmikroskop
• Instrumentation Group: 4070 Spezielle Röntgengeräte für Materialanalyse, Strukturforschung und Werkstoff-Bestrahlung
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan Diebels; Professor Dr. Peter Gumbsch; Professor Dr. Randolf Hanke; Professor Dr. Christian Motz; Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Mücklich; Professor Dr. Volker Presser; Professor Dr. Thomas Schuster; Professor Dr.-Ing. Philipp Slusallek; Professor Dr. Joachim Weickert