Synchrotron X-Rays Methodologies for Aerospace Materials

Abstract

X-rays can be employed in a variety of techniques to obtain structural information about materials with atomic scale resolution. Thanks to their non-destructive mode of operation and to their high sensitivity, X-ray techniques represent an effective multi-scale probe, providing details from the atomic level to the long range order of materials. The high brilliance of the X-ray beams produced at synchrotron facilities allows high-quality data collection to be carried out. Such X-ray beams are extremely reliable probes to investigate the effects originated from stress, strain, irradiation, high temperatures, etc. For this reason, synchrotron radiation techniques are not only suitable but desirable tools to characterise and test aerospace components. Here we report several case examples of several synchrotron radiation techniques well-suited to investigate the structure of composite and multiphase materials as those employed for aerospace applications. The deep insight gained by combining such techniques can represent a breakthrough in the development of innovative solutions for aerospace technologies.