LANL YMP Results - Page 1
X-Ray Microfocus Tomography Scans of Paintbrush Tuff Whole Rock Cores
and Backfill Materials
This section shows XMT images and UFA results for Yucca Mountain rock cores and backfill materials. The XMT images were obtained using the new X-ray Microtomography Laboratory courtesy of Peter McGrail and Clark Lindenmeier at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA (http://www.pnl.gov/agg/XMT.html). The tomograph system is an ACTIS 200/160 KXR unit manufactured by Bio-Imaging Research. The instrument is housed in an 8000 lb lead-lined near zero emission enclosure, and is capable of achieving a resolution in the focal plane of one one-thousandth of the object diameter. A microfocus X-ray source allows variableslice widths over a nominal range of 10 to 150 µm. Two-dimensional computed tomographic (CT) images are displayed using 2562, 5122, or 10242 pixels, each at 12 bits (4096 contrast levels). The instrument can also be used to obtain digital radiographs.
The system is composed of a Kevex model KM16010E-A X-ray tube with spot sizes of 10, 20, 65, 250 µm at power levels 5, 10, 50, and 160 watts, respectively. The X-ray source uses a tungsten target and the X-rays are emitted through a 0.01 inch thick beryllium window. The RLS-2048/100 CCD detector is a gadolinium oxysulfide scintillation phoshor screen optically coupled to a linear photodiode array through a fiber optic taper. The diode array is an EG&G Reticon RL2048S, monolithic self-scanning linear photodiode array with 2048 photodiode sensor elements having 25 µm center-to-center spacing. A computer-controlled sample manipulator with a 75-mm diameter turntable allows 365°ree; of continuous rotation and a maximum vertical travel of 150 mm. Larger objects (up to 150 mm) may be placed on the table using jigs. A computer data acquisition, instrument control, and image reconstruction system with the ACTIS+ software provides X-ray and sample manipulation control in addition to CT and CT Multi-Planer (MPR-3D) image reconstruction. The PC is an EISA bus system running SCO UNIX.
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