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Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is an attractive Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology for the fabrication of metallic components with complex structures and high performances. This process fulfills the goals of sustainable production by reducing material waste, optimizing product topology, and recycling metallic powder. Aluminum alloys exhibit also sustainable performances being lightweight and recyclable. Al-Si10-Mg alloy is suitable for SLM processing due to its good castability, good strength, wear, and corrosion resistance. However, the laser processing of aluminum alloys to date needs to be optimized. In this study, the authors have analyzed the role of close values of heat input on microstructure and defects (Electron and Optical microscope, DRX analysis), porosity (optical microscope and X-ray tomography), melting pool geometries (both in transversal and longitudinal sections of the samples) and mechanical performance (hardness and tensile test) of Al-Si10-Mg samples. The results have shown that even at very close values of energy density, the microstructure and properties of the samples differ from each other.

Mechanical properties of fibres reinforced composite materials depend on the type of fibres used, their percentage as well as their arrangement and orientation. As computer technology continues to improve, high-resolution computed tomography has proven to be an ideal instrument to analyse the structure of this kind of materials. In this context, various approaches have been proposed to detect the fibre orientation distribution and the relative degree of anisotropy of these composite materials. Some of these approaches are based on ‘individual’ measurements that isolate and reconstruct each single fibre and measure its properties. On the other hand, other approaches capture the characteristics of the fibre distribution by means of ‘global’ measurements computed on the entire set of tomographic data. The first methods are more precise but also more complex because they demand a procedure able to segment and separate each single fibre in the polymer, whereas the latter are easier to implement and can be applied even if fibre segmentation and separation is not effective or practicable. In this paper, a global method based on the technique called volume orientation – originally proposed several years ago to study the anisotropy of bone structures – is applied to fibre reinforced composite materials. This new approach does not require data acquired at very high resolution nor very complex procedures for individual segmentation of the fibres, but only binarised data through common thresholding procedures. The effectiveness of the proposed new approach is demonstrated by comparing it to the results obtained from a method based on individual measurements: when resolution and images quality are good enough, the volume orientation method gives results quite similar to the other approach. The analysis of three different case studies demonstrates its flexibility and its validity as an alternative to methods based on the separation of individual fibres, which are not always usable. The samples have been carefully selected in order to range between different attenuation contrast levels and also include a specimen subjected to mechanical testing which can be of great practical interest. Lay Description: Mechanical properties of fibres reinforced composite materials depend on the type of fibres used, their percentage as well as their arrangement and orientation. Today, both destructive and nondestructive techniques can be used in order to assess the fibre orientation. As computer technology continues to improve, high-resolution computed tomography has proven to be an ideal instrument to analyse the structure of this kind of materials, and then the fibre orientation distribution inside the material. In this context, various strategies have been proposed. Some of them require measurements that isolate and reconstruct each single fibre and measure its properties. On the other hand, other approaches capture the characteristics of the fibre distribution by means of ‘global’ measurements computed on the entire set of tomographic data. The first methods are more precise but also more complex because they demand a procedure able to detect and separate each single fibre in the polymer, whereas the latter are easier to implement and can be applied even if fibre segmentation and separation is not effective or practicable. In this paper, a global method based on the technique called volume orientation – originally proposed several years ago to study the microstructure of bone tissues – is applied to fibre reinforced composite materials. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that this new approach is easier to use. As a matter of fact, it does not require data acquired at very high resolution nor very complex procedures for individual segmentation of the fibres, but only binarised data through common thresholding procedures. The effectiveness of the proposed new approach is shown by comparing it to the results obtained from a method based on individual measurements: when spatial resolution and images quality are good enough, the volume orientation method gives results quite similar to the other already used approach. The analysis of three different case studies demonstrates its flexibility and its validity as an alternative to methods based on the separation of individual fibres, which are not always usable. The samples have been carefully selected in order to range between different attenuation contrast levels and different nature of the fibres (mineral, vegetable or synthetic). A specimen subjected to mechanical testing is also included, because of its great practical interest.

Polymeric expanded materials are of great importance in many engineering applications. Despite this, as of today the development of models able to describe the mechanical behaviour of these material as a function of their microstructure is still an open challenge. In this study an image-based approach is proposed for both microstructure characterisation and 3D numerical mechanical simulations. Microstructure is investigated through different algorithms, such as Mean Intercept Length and Autocorrelation function, to determine synthetic parameters able to describe the internal structure. A novel algorithm has been developed to convert the images obtained from computed tomography into a finite element mesh with an optimized number of elements: this method preserves the original structure and can also be used to generate other fictitious structures that can be analysed. The investigation led to the identification of general relationships between foam microstructure and relevant macroscopic physical and mechanical properties. These relationships can serve as a tool to optimize foam morphology or product final properties for several different engineering applications.

Objective To assess the effects of thermoforming on aligner thickness and gap width in six aligner systems with the same nominal thickness. Methods Six passive upper aligners of different brands were adapted to a single printed cast. Each sample was evaluated with high-resolution micro-computed tomography. To investigate aligner thickness and gap width, two-dimensional (2D) analysis was conducted assessing the effects of the following variables: tooth type (central incisor, canine, and first molar), 2D reference points, and aligner type. Data were analyzed and compared using analysis of variance and Tukey's post-hoc tests (p < 0.05). Results Tooth type, dental region, and aligner type affected both the gap width and aligner thickness. The aligner thickness remained moderately stable across the arch only in the F22. Conclusions All thermoformed samples displayed smaller aligner thickness and gap width at anterior teeth and both gingival and coronal centers than at posterior teeth and occlusal surfaces.

The aim of the current study is to propose a versatile, non-destructive inspection strategy to evaluate the structure of two different aircraft carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) -based composite configurations, which are widely used for structural elements, respectively layered composite and sandwich structure. X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been used as a flexible method for assessment of porosity levels in CFRP components in both types of configuration, permitting to investigate the volume distribution of the individuated pores/voids, giving an interactive 3D exploration and quantitative analysis of porosity by the complete 3D volume rendering of the analysed composites. Moreover, specific data analysis could supply detailed information on size, shape and position of pores or defect or misalignment which could be a valuable indication for damage tolerant design methodology or local stress analysis. This presented non-destructive approach based on CT can be a good alternative to standard destructive methods based on the acid digestion or 2D microscopy for porosity evaluation in composite, especially for severe stressed element in aerospace structure. Of course, the high resolution X-ray CT cannot substitute the ultrasounds test for analysing full scale components, but it can be complementary to it to provide accurate quantitative results on small samples used as references.

Background To investigate and compare the gap (i.e. fit) and thickness of six aligner systems (Airnivol, ALL IN, Arc Angel, F22, Invisalign and Nuvola) using industrial computed tomography (CT). The null hypothesis was that there would be no detectable differences in either measurement between the aligners investigated. Materials and methods Passive aligners of each brand were fitted to one single resin cast prototyped from an STL file from a single patient. The samples obtained were examined under high-resolution micro-CT, and the resulting tomographic microphotographs and volumetric data were compared. 3D analysis investigated the gap volume, the mean gap width and the maximum gap width of each sample. A total of 204 linear 2D measurements were made on 18 microtomographic images to investigate the aligner gap and thickness among different systems. Investigated regions were the central incisor, canine and first molar. The resulting measurements were analysed by ANOVA and compared using Tukey’s post hoc analysis (P < 0.05). Results 3D analysis revealed that the F22 displayed lower gap volume and mean gap width, followed by Airnivol and Invisalign, whereas Airnivol the lowest maximum gap width. 2D analysis showed that F22 had the lowest mean gap and aligner thickness at all teeth investigated. Comparison of the 2D point values revealed statistically significant differences between brands in terms of both measurements (P < 0.05), with the exception of six points in the gap analysis and one in the thickness analysis. Conclusions There are differences between the six aligner systems examined in terms of 2D and 3D measurements of aligner thickness and gap.

In many applications, polymeric foams (such as expanded polystyrene or expanded polypropylene) are used for protection from impacts. Standard design requires the foam to maximize the energy absorption, thus achieving large deformations (typically up to 25% and above in compression) while maintaining the stress level below a threshold value. In this work, steam chest-moulded EPS and EPP were characterized in relation to their density, microstructure and applied strain rate. Typical mechanical parameters (elastic moduli and plateau stress in compression) were compared with existing models and data in the literature. The strain-rate dependence was accurately described using Nagy’s phenomenological model. The mechanical behaviour of the foams was then correlated with their microstructure, as investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray micro-tomography. Structural parameters were obtained using both (2D and 3D) techniques and relevant results were compared. © The Author(s) 2018.

The anisotropy of a short fiber reinforced composite produced by injection molding of basalt fibers and polypropylene matrix has been studied by X-ray microtomography (or micro-CT). Fiber orientation was analyzed using four stereological methods: Mean Intercept Length (MIL), Volume Orientation (VO), Star Volume Distribution (SVD) and Star Length Distribution (SLD). The fabric tensor obtained from micro-CT analysis provided information on the fiber orientation, indicating that fibers were partially aligned in the injection direction.

In this work the architectural anisotropy of short fiber reinforced polymers (SFRPs) has been characterized using X-ray computed micro-tomography (micro-CT) with four different morphometric methods: Mean Intercept Length (MIL), Volume Orientation (VO), Star Length Distribution (SLD) and Star Volume Distribution (SVD). The fabric tensor obtained from micro-CT analysis provided information on the fiber orientation, indicating that fibers were partially aligned in the injection direction. The fiber length and orientation obtained from optical microscopy and from the morphometric analysis in 3D, respectively, has been used to determine the mechanical properties of the composite sample, using a model based on micro and macromechanics. This approach leads to the prediction of the elastic constants of the component for any possible composite morphology resulting from injection, representing a key need for the design of SFRP components.

Heat management in hydrogen storage tanks is a mandatory issue in order to ensure high level performances both in terms of hydrogen release/uptake kinetics and storage capacity. Previous research has ascertained that powders tend to pack and sinter during charge/discharge cycling giving rise to non-reacting material. Moreover powders, with intrinsically low thermal conductivity, can show problems related to hydrogen permeability, and suffer from hydraulic losses and particle entrainment by gas flow. To overtake these problems and to keep high performances, hydride powders mixed with high thermal conductivity additives are compacted in pellets. Some materials, like Expanded Natural Graphite (ENG), besides improving the pellet mechanical stability during cycling, can impart a thermal conductivity higher by order of magnitudes with respect to a simple powdered bed. On the basis of these considerations, pelleting can be very effective in improving tank performances. However pellets tend to swell and lose compactness during long term operation, returning back to the powder form with a detrimental effect on tank performances. In this work the swelling process caused by cycling of pellets simulating tank exercise has been studied. The pellets, which are constituted by ball milled magnesium hydride (MgH2) with the addition of niobium oxide (Nb2O5) and ENG, have been deeply studied by different microscopic methods including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Helium Ion Microscopy (HeIM) and high resolution Computed Tomography (CT) with the purpose of ascertaining microstructural modification and degradation mechanism in order to define strategies for material preparation able to reduce the entity of the swelling process.

Cement composites containing recycled rubber add the advantage of a hydrophobic character to the typical benefits of a lightweight aggregate, and contribute to giving value to a relevant secondary raw material all over the world. In this work, we have tested these innovative construction composite materials in terms of water uptake by capillary rise, important cause of deterioration of masonries and building heritage at large. Moreover, we have investigated the potential of the X-ray-computed tomography in order to clarify the role played by rubber grains in affecting the air void system [dimension range: 10 µm−1 mm] of these porous materials, i.e. porosity, size distribution and localization of the pores within the cementitious matrix. This technique has been used also to gain information about the solid itself, i.e. on cement-rubber area distribution, as this parameter affects specifically the “bulk” surface energy (hence contact angle) of the composite. Results indicate that rubber-cement composites have higher porosity over the whole explored range, and more sensitively in the smallest detectable range [10 µm–100 µm]. Their lower permeation to water is ascribed to the assessed increase of the composite bulk water contact angle, and formally consistent with a lower mean radius of the pores.

Structural anisotropy of two-phase materials can be evaluated through global measurements, as volume orientation or mean-intercept length methods do, or through statistics performed on a set of individual measurements. This last procedure is encouraged by recent improvements in the spatial resolution of conventional X-ray tomography. In this paper, the above-described approaches were compared in three case studies: a foam subjected to an in situ compression test, a second foam with a completely different cell morphology and a plastic material reinforced with short fibres. The approach based on the subdivision into distinguishable objects of the considered material phase has proved to be more sensitive in highlighting small deformations in the structure or small irregularities in an otherwise isotropic structure. On the other hand, the other approach is more general and is always usable. The two methods for calculating the fabric tensor tend to converge as the average anisotropy of individual objects in the statistical population increases. The use of Lambert's cylindrical equal-area projection of cell/fibre directions or local volume orientations is suggested, because the density of points is preserved from the sphere to the plane surface. Finally, a quick vector method to evaluate the anisotropy of the directions distribution has been presented, by defining a coherence index of the average direction.

In fabrication of microelectronic devices two important steps are often recognized: i) all the processes performed on the wafer in order to build the active part of the devices and, ii) the assembly and packaging processes, typically performed on a chip, in order to fabricate interconnections between active part and exterior. The wafer back side is an active part of power devices and is normally coated with a stack of Ti-Ni-Au or Ti-Ni-Ag layers to ensure the best electrical contact with the frame on which the device is attached prior to the packaging. An important failure mechanism related to this particular process step is related to the diffusion of Ni to the surface of the stack that causes its oxidation on the back metal surface, inhibiting the correct connection to the metallic frame. Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) is a powerful analytical technique that can be used to detect this failure mechanism for its very high sensitivity in the characterization of surface layers. Unfortunately, its results are mainly qualitative. Quantitative extrapolations can be inaccurate using library Elemental Relative Sensitive Factor (ERSF) because they are mainly referred to a silicon substrate and could be not valid for a different matrix. A most accurate evaluation of the ERSF is based on the analysis, under identical experimental condition, of standard materials (with known concentration) that should be similar to the unknown sample and having the same matrix. However, the production of this kind of standard is not easy due to the mobility of Ni in Au and Ag. Another commonly used technique is the Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS) which is less sensitive than the Auger and not sufficiently adequate for a quantitative analysis due to the limitation of the matrix correction methods. Recently, a new method to perform quantitative analysis by using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) EDS was proposed, starting from bi-layers of pure elements. In this work we show how the use of TEM-EDS quantification of Ni in Ag could be a successful method for ERSF evaluation in order to overcome matrix effect in Auger quantification. For this purpose suitable foils of Ag/Al and Ni/Al were used. The validation of the method was performed on a sample with a tri-metal stack of Ti/Ni/Ag previously stimulated by means of a thermal budget to induce Ni migration on Ag surface. The quantitative analysis allowed us to use this characterized sample as AES standard for ERSF calculation. © 2018

Advanced polymeric foams with enhanced thermal insulation and mechanical properties are used in a wide range of industrial applications. The properties of a foam strongly depend upon its cell structure. Traditionally, their microstructure has been studied using 2D imaging systems based on optical or electron microscopy, with the obvious disadvantage that only the surface of the sample can be analysed. To overcome this shortcoming, the adoption of X-ray micro-tomography imaging is here suggested to allow for a complete 3D, non-destructive analysis of advanced polymeric foams. Unlike metallic foams, the resolution of the reconstructed structural features is hampered by the low contrast in the images due to weak X-ray absorption in the polymer. In this work an advanced methodology based on high-resolution and low-contrast techniques is used to perform quantitative analyses on both closed and open cells foams. Local structural features of individual cells such as equivalent diameter, sphericity, anisotropy and orientation are statistically evaluated. In addition, thickness and length of the struts are determined, underlining the key role played by the achieved resolution. In perspective, the quantitative description of these structural features will be used to evaluate the results of in situ mechanical and thermal test on foam samples. © 2016 Author(s).

Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are very used as fillers in polymer nanocomposites research. They cannot be used in their pristine form (magnesium and aluminum hydroxycarbonates) because they exhibit strong interlayer electrostatic interactions and tight basal spacings so that they require the intercalation of organic anions into clay galleries. The organic modification of LDH increases the filler-polymer compatibility, enlarges the basal spacing of the lamellae (making easier the insertion of the polymeric chains into the gallery), and promotes the exfoliation of the filler into the polymeric matrix. Organically modified LDH/polymer nanocomposites exhibit improved mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties when they are compared with pristine polymers or conventional composites. Moreover, the incorporation of LDH allows us to obtain materials with specific functionalities. For example, the intercalation of antimicrobial molecules into LDH (such as benzoate or stearate) and the use of the modified nanoparticles as fillers results in nanocomposites with antimicrobial activity. In this paper, several benzoate and/or stearate LDH/polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites have been produced for food packaging applications. The O2 permeability coefficient of the nanocomposite named 1.5% o-benzoate/1.5% o-stearate LDH/PP/3% PP-g-MAH reduces by 20% compared to unfilled PP and 30% compared to unfilled PP/3%PP-g-MAH. It is accepted that in such a nanocomposite, the lamellar structure of LDH creates a more tortuous path for the progress of oxygen molecules reducing the gas diffusion. For the novel nanocomposite material, the physical, morphological, mechanical, and gas barrier properties have been measured and the antimicrobial effect has been evaluated. In this paper, some benzoate LDH/polyurethane foam (PU) nanocomposites have been also produced. The filler dispersion into the PU has been investigated by scanning electronic microscopy. It was observed that organic LDH particles were uniformly dispersed into the walls of cells, forming small aggregates. The morphological properties of the foam have been analyzed by nanotomography. LDH/PU nanocomposite showed antibacterial and improved mechanical properties. © 2016 IEEE.

Advanced polymeric foams are used in a wide range of industrial and R&D applications. Their properties strongly depend upon the cell structure. Traditionally, their microstructure has been studied using optical or electron microscopy, limiting the investigations to sample's surface only. To overcome this shortcoming, the use of X-ray micro-tomography imaging is here adopted to allow for a complete 3D, non-destructive analysis of advanced polymeric foams. This work brings to fruition high resolution and low-contrast imaging techniques to perform quantitative analyses onto polymeric foams, where the low contrast of reconstructed structural features might hamper accurate quantitative analyses. Local structural features of individual cells are statistically evaluated, showing the key role of the achieved resolution. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd

A calibration procedure for the detection efficiency of energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers (EDS) used in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for standardless electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is presented. The procedure is based on the comparison of X-ray spectra from a reference material (RM) measured with the EDS to be calibrated and a reference EDS. The RM is certified by the line intensities in the X-ray spectrum recorded with a reference EDS and by its composition. The calibration of the reference EDS is performed using synchrotron radiation at the radiometry laboratory of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. Measurement of RM spectra and comparison of the specified line intensities enables a rapid efficiency calibration on most SEMs. The article reports on studies to prepare such a RM and on EDS calibration and proposes a methodology that could be implemented in current spectrometer software to enable the calibration with a minimum of operator assistance.

We investigate the In-composition of In x Ga 1− x As ternary layers epitaxially grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The epilayers of different indium content (mole fraction 0.2 x simultaneously onto GaAs substrates of different crystallographic orientation, namely (0 0 1), (1 1 1)B and (1 1 3)A surfaces. High-resolution X-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements show that for a suitable set of parameters high-quality In x Ga 1− x As layers can be simultaneously grown by MBE on differently oriented GaAs substrates. Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements show that the In-incorporation is constant over the whole layer thickness and for all surface orientations. In addition, the epilayers grown during the same run have the same chemical composition independent from the substrate surface orientation. Moreover, a comparison of the InAs mole fractions obtained by X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis confirms the validity of Vegard's rule for the In x Ga 1− x As lattice parameter and the Poisson's ratio within 0.5% of the experimental accuracy.

Observations of semiconductor multilayers with backscattered electrons in a scanning electron microscope have been used to revisit the concept of resolution of the backscattering imaging mode. With the support of Monte Carlo simulations of beam specimen interaction, it has been

In this work, the use of unconventional reference materials to determine experimentally the Cliff-Lorimer factor for EDS quantitative analysis with a TEM is checked by means of an alternative experimental procedure. The k-factor is determined by the extrapolation method based on pure elements, by measuring the normalized X-ray intensities emitted by thin films of pure gold and pure silver of different thickness, accurately measured by X-ray reflectivity. The goal of this work is to confirm the value of the k-factor previously obtained by the use of unconventional reference materials consisting of a bi-layer of pure gold on pure silver. The current result is in accordance with the previous one when considering their error bars, however, their relative difference is about 13 %, probably due to some uncertainties in mass thickness measurements. The mass thickness measurement of the layers of pure elements needs to be performed by different methods in order to reduce its uncertainty.

In this work, we report on a theoretical study of the contrast formation at Si/SixGe1−x interfaces in backscattered electron images of a scanning electron microscope. The contrast at the heterointerface is calculated for different atomic concentrations (0 < × < 1) and energies (E0 = 10 and 20 keV). The electron scattering phenomenon is simulated by employing a Monte Carlo method by using a single scattering approach. The signal intensity close to the interface shows a peak on the alloy side and a dip on the Si side. We explain this phenomenon by using the diffusion theory of the backscattered electrons. The spatial resolution increases by decreasing the Si concentration in the alloy side and by decreasing the beam energy.

Comparative studies on the ultimate spatial resolution of the Scanning Electron Microscope, using different components of the electron signal have been performed on specimens providing compositional contrast. By operating the microscope in conventional way as well as with a specifically designed set-up we have ascertained that the delocalized components of the signal provide a spatial resolution of the order of the beam size, even if the practical use can be limited by the noise. To amplify the contribution of the delocalized components of the signal, as backscattered electrons by a bulk specimen or forward scattered electrons by a thin specimen, we used a device consisting of a plate of a material with high secondary yield placed above or below the sample. An important practical implication arises from this study. A detecting system consisting of a standard Everhart-Thornley detector coupled with a converter of backscattered or transmitted electrons represents a high performance detecting device for low voltage observations.

The main factors affecting the spatial resolution of the scanning electron microscope have been analysed using a suitable inhomogeneous specimen consisting of semiconductor multilayers. Operating in secondary electron as well as in backscattered electron imaging mode, with the support of Monte Carlo simulations of beam-specimen interaction, it has been possible to achieve the following conclusions. All the backscattered or secondary electrons positively contribute to the image formation independently of their trajectories and specimen exit points. The resolution of the backscattered electron images depends only on the beam size and the signal to noise ratio. The generation volume of backscattered electrons affects the contrast but does not represent in itself a limit to the resolution. The contrast of secondary electron images of the semiconductor multilayer has essentially a compositional nature, being linked to the collection of secondary electrons produced by the backscattered ones. Moreover, using a converter of backscattered electrons in secondary electrons located underneath the pole pieces of the microscope objective lens, it has been demonstrated an improvement of the signal that allows a resolution equal to the electron beam size. This resolution cannot be obtained, operating in the same electron optical conditions, without the converter, due to the lower signal level.

This work investigates the use of an unconventional reference material to determine experimentally the Cliff-Lorimer factor for EDS quantitative analysis with a transmission electron microscope. The results demonstrate the equivalence of a bi-layer of pure gold on pure silver with respect to a binary alloy foil of the same elements. RF-sputtering is a suitable technique to prepare such reference materials that have a uniform thickness within a few percent tolerance. The availability of a calibrated set of similar reference materials would allow direct measurement of the k-factors for a large number of elements. This would avoid the errors due to the use of theoretical k-factors extracted from the compilations available in the literature. A new expression of the correction factor for X-ray self-absorption of the sample has also been derived.

In this reported research activity, a quantitatively 3D characterization at microscale of a CFRP reference composite with controlled porosity was performed by micro X-ray CT (µXCT); the results were compared with the destructive acid digestion analyses, following the procedure reported in the standard test method (ASTM D 3171 15) used to determine the composites’ porosity in General Aviation (GA). The μXCT analyses revealed a pore content of 4.37%v and identified the components, respectively, in 66%w of carbon fibres and 34%w of matrix; all obtained results demonstrated a high correspondence to the theoretical values of porosity (5.0%v) and components (67%w of carbon fibre and 33%w of polymer matrix). Instead, a not complete correspondence of the measures obtained by acid digestion was reported: 4.36%v of porosity, but 57%w of carbon fibre and 43%w of matrix. Therefore, the conformity of the μXCT results to the theoretical values demonstrated the feasibility and distinctiveness of the proposed NDT method for a rapid and reliable inspection of CRFP components used in GA in substitution of the standard DT and time-consuming digestion procedure. The proposed NDT inspection technique permitted not only the individuation and visualization in the reconstruction of the 3D analysed material of different components (e.g. pores, carbon fibres and polymer matrix) but also the 3D evaluation of the material composition with the identification and quantification of each constituent element. Graphical abstract E. Dilonardo*, M. Nacucchi, F. De Pascalis, M. Zarrelli, and C. Giannini Inspection of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers: 3D identification and quantification of components by X-ray CT