A phase-contrast micro-CT system for non-destructive testing of light materials

High-resolution computed tomography (micro-CT) plays a crucial role in material science. The conventional micro-CT method, which is based on x-ray absorption, performs well when imaging hard and dense materials, but for objects with weak x-ray absorption the contrast is poor. If the phase shift is detected alongside absorption, the image contrast can be increased. We here present a propagation-based phase-contrast micro-CT system, based on a MetalJet x-ray source, and show an application of phase-contrast micro-CT for imaging a carbon-fibre composite. Individual carbon fibres could be visualised, and also small air cavities within the material. This enables high-resolution three-dimensional inspection of light materials, such as carbon composites and plastics.