TALINT grating kits for X-ray interferometry in the industrial laboratory

Abstract

For the past century, X-ray imaging has been based on the attenuation of photon beams in a sample. Over the last few years, new imaging techniques called as X-ray phase contrast and dark field imaging have emerged. This method relies on the differential phase shifts of the X-ray wave on electron density gradients or on scattering in the sample. Phase effects enable enhanced imaging contrast for low ‘Z’ materials like plastics, carbon composites or even light metals and alloys. One of the principles for dark field imaging is Talbot-Lau Interferometry which is based on using three gratings. During the past decade, Microworks has produced high contrast gratings using the X-ray LIGA technique. Recently Microworks has started to develop mounting kits for Talbot-Lau interferometers as a product line, TALINT series. The first generation of the TALINT has been implemented at the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Some industrially relevant applications with this system will be discussed in this paper. The subsequent version of the TALINT also known as TALINT EDU has also been discussed briefly in the last section of this paper.