title: 3D chemical imaging in the laboratory by hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography.
abstract: We report the development of laboratory based hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography which allows the internal elemental chemistry of an object to be reconstructed and visualised in three dimensions. The method employs a spectroscopic X-ray imaging detector with sufficient energy resolution to distinguish individual elemental absorption edges. Elemental distributions can then be made by K-edge subtraction, or alternatively by voxel-wise spectral fitting to give relative atomic concentrations. We demonstrate its application to two material systems: studying the distribution of catalyst material on porous substrates for industrial scale chemical processing; and mapping of minerals and inclusion phases inside a mineralised ore sample. The method makes use of a standard laboratory X-ray source with measurement times similar to that required for conventional computed tomography.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Egan
authors.affiliation: School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.|UK Catalysis Hub, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: S D M
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Jacques
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Veale
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Oxfordshire, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seller
authors.affiliation: UK Catalysis Hub, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK.|Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AJ, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Beale
authors.affiliation: School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: R A D
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Pattrick
authors.affiliation: School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Withers
authors.affiliation: School of Materials, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Cernik