Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1994
Complex, heterogeneous microstructures occur naturally. Examples can be found in teeth and bone, ... more Complex, heterogeneous microstructures occur naturally. Examples can be found in teeth and bone, which are complex composites with organic and mineral phases. Heterogeneous microstructures can also be synthesized to achieve materials with tailored properties. Examples of synthesized microstructures include continuous-filament metal and ceramic matrix composites. Predicting the properties of materials possessing heterogeneous microstructures, or understanding and optimizing the synthesis of these materials, is complicated by the difficulty of obtaining three-dimensional microstructural characterization. Stereology is a method for estimating three-dimensional structures from planar sections [1]. With stereological methods, it is possible to estimate volume fractions and surface areas of pores, inclusions, second phases, and other features found in heterogeneous microstructures. However, it is impossible with stereology to determine the number, true shape, or interconnectedness of such microstructural features, short of serially sectioning the entire sample [2]. DeHoff et al ., in a sintering study, established that the spacing between consecutive sections must be on the order of 1/3 to 1/10 the length of the feature of interest in order to determine topological properties such as the connectedness between objects [3]. Such detailed sectioning is time consuming, artifact-prone, and destructive. Hence, three-dimensional analyses of heterogeneous microstructures are rarely undertaken. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a method for reconstructing three-dimensional images of a structure from Corresponding author .
Uploads
Papers by john kinney