New X-ray computed tomography methods for research and industry

During the last years, a number of novel X-ray imaging and data processing methods have been developed. This work gives an overview of some selected X-ray computed tomography (CT)-developments, which are relevant for research and industry: 1) Advanced CT-data processing and visualization methods: Only through processing, segmentation, evaluation and visualization of CT data, insights of a sample can be facilitated and selected features can be extracted. 2) Quantitative CT: In the beginning of industrial CT images were generated mainly for visual inspection. Nowadays software tools and methods are getting increasingly important to determine quantitative data from CT scans with reasonable accuracy. These quantitative values can be 3D-geometry, lengths, diameters, distances, fiber orientations, porosity values, parameters characterizing the 3D-microstructure, etc. 3) 4DCT or In-situ CT: Typical 4DCT and in-situ investigations include the thermo-mechanical behavior (tension, compression, torsion at different temperatures) of materials, phase transitions, physical reactions (e.g. melting, sintering, curing, diffusion...), chemical reactions, etc. CT is one of the most powerful methods for in-situ investigations of a material since it generates the complete 3D information without, in most of the cases, affecting the system studied. 4) Phase contrast CT: X-ray computed tomography phase imaging methods can be classified into propagation based methods, interferometric methods and other techniques. In this presentation, we discuss an interferometric method based on the Talbot-Lau interferometer as well as propagation based phase contrast CT-methods. 5) Further trends: In addition we report on further trends and methods such as High resolution CT, XXL-CT / Robot-CT , Inline CT/High speed CT, coupling of CT with material simulation, application of new X-ray sources and detectors (e.g. photon counting detectors), application of multi-energy techniques, etc..