Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a cutting-edge X-ray technology designed to transform non-destructive testing (NDT) and materials inspection. The technique, called colorized hyperspectral X-ray imaging with multi-metal targets (CHXI MMT), uses patterned arrays of metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, gold, samarium, and silver to produce colorized X-ray images with unprecedented clarity.
Edward Jimenez, project lead and optical engineer, said, “With this new technology, we are essentially going from the old way, which is black and white, to a whole new colored world where we can better identify materials and defects of interest.”
The system reduces the focal spot of the X-ray beam and utilizes energy-discriminating detectors to count individual photons, measure their energy, and characterize the elemental composition of a sample. This approach provides high-resolution images that allow inspectors to detect even subtle defects or material differences in metals, composites, and industrial components.
Noelle Collins, materials scientist on the project, highlighted the potential for industry applications: “We hope this will help better identify things like cancer and more effectively analyze tumor cells. In mammography you are trying to catch something before it grows. In breast tissue, it’s hard to identify the different dots, but with colorization you have a sharper beam and higher resolution image that increases the system’s capability to detect a microcalcification. It’s really exciting to be a part of that.”
The Sandia team envisions applications across advanced manufacturing, quality control, aerospace, infrastructure inspection, and other NDT fields, where detecting hidden defects or variations in material properties is critical.
Courtney Sovinec, electronics engineer, added, “Each metal emits a particular ‘color’ of X-ray light. When combined with an energy discriminating detector, we can count individual photons, which provide density information, and measure the energy of each photon. This allows us to characterize the elements of the sample.”
The CHXI MMT technology promises to enhance NDT by providing inspectors with sharper, more informative images and enabling faster, more accurate detection of flaws, improving safety, reliability, and operational efficiency across industries.
Reference: https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/sandia-team-creates-x-ray-images-of-the-future/
