THE APPLICATION OF X-RAY COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY TO MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

As aerospace components become more complex, their cost increases and nondestructive evaluation of their quality takes on new significance. X-ray computed tomography is a nondestructive evaluation technique that provides quantitative information on material density, constituents, and dimensions. This capability is of considerable economic value to the aerospace manufacturing community, because it allows better control of materials, processes, and product quality. Additionally, data obtained through computed tomography can be used in the modeling of component behavior to help determine whether defects and flaws are grounds for rejection of a part.