X-ray applications and recent advances @ XLab Frascati

XLab Frascati is a facility open to external users for different X-ray analyses, ranging from structural studies through X-ray diffraction to elemental mapping by means of mu X-ray Fluorescence, colour tomography and X-ray imaging studies. This is possible thanks to our experimental layouts XENA (X-ray Experimental station for Non-destructive Analysis) and RXR (Rainbow X-Ray) along with our facility for the production of polycapillary optics. The know-how on these optics enable us improving the performances of our setups by adopting the best fitting X-ray optics according to the experimental requirements. To make an example, the main advantage of RXR is that the detection system includes two spectrometers working in high (arranged in the polycapillary confocal geometry) and low X-ray energies,, respectively, permitting both the 2D mu XRF scan and 3D mu XRF elemental mapping (colour tomography) due to the confocal geometry with a 3-axis fine motion system. The article showcases the results obtained in key case studies where we performed: (i) 2D/3D mu XRF to analyse chemical composition of tree rings with respect the influence of the environmental context, to study a "fresco" fragment and assess the presence of damages, to make a 3D reconstruction of a screw encapsulated in glue through the its elemental composition as well as (ii) X-ray imaging and (iii) mu CT/dynamic CT to characterize LiF detectors, to study the structure of a flower bud and to evaluate the profile distribution of a diesel spray from the nozzle.