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X-ray computed micro tomography as complementary method for the characterization of activated porous ceramic preforms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2011

S. Vasić,
B. Grobéty,
J. Kuebler,
T. Graule and
L. Baumgartner
S. Vasić
Affiliation:
Technical Mineralogy Group, Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; and EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, CH-8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
B. Grobéty
Affiliation:
Technical Mineralogy Group, Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Fribourg, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
J. Kuebler*
Affiliation:
EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, CH-8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
T. Graule
Affiliation:
EMPA, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for High Performance Ceramics, CH-8600 Duebendorf, Switzerland
L. Baumgartner
Affiliation:
Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, Earth Science, University of Lausanne, CH-1100 Lausanne, Switzerland
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: jakob.kuebler@empa.ch
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Abstract

X-ray computed micro tomography (CT) is an alternative technique to the classical methods such as mercury intrusion (MIP) and gas pycnometry (HP) to obtain the porosity, pore-size distribution, and density of porous materials. Besides the advantage of being a nondestructive method, it gives not only bulk properties, but also spatially resolved information. In the present work, uniaxially pressed porous alumina performs activated by titanium were analyzed with both the classical techniques and CT. The benefits and disadvantages of the applied measurement techniques were pointed out and discussed. With the generated data, development was proposed for an infiltration model under ideal conditions for the production of metal matrix composites (MMC) by pressureless melt infiltration of porous ceramic preforms. Therefore, the reliability of the results, received from different investigation techniques, was proved statistically and stereologically.

Keywords

Grain sizePorosityX-ray tomography

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Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , May 2007, pp. 1414 - 1424
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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