Seeing through Materials: X-Ray Imaging Using Computed Tomography

X-ray computed tomography (XCT) has recently emerged as a powerful tool for characterizing the evolution of microstructure during phase transformation in three dimensional (3D) such as dendritic solidification of alloys. This paper briefly reviews the recent advances in the in-situ observation of aluminium alloys, magnesium alloys and nickel-based superalloys during solidification using laboratory XCT and synchrotron X-ray sources. The focus is on the growth kinetics of dendrites, porosity and secondary phases. In addition, in-situ characterization during the loading and corrosion process is also discussed.