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In situ tomography

Visualize the internal evolution of your products under constraints

Specialists in in situ tomography, we help you explore in 3D and in real time the behavior of your materials under stress.

Thanks to our experimental setups or custom developments (e.g., mechanical loads, thermal cycles, specific environments), we reveal the internal mechanisms that govern the performance, durability, and reliability of your components.

From test preparation to data interpretation, we turn these advanced analyses into actionable results to secure your processes and accelerate your innovations.

part of the housing of the first engine support made on a 3D printer printed with powder metals. the method of direct laser cultivation

Why use in situ tomography?

  • Understanding real mechanisms: by visualizing, at the micrometer scale and in real time, the initiation and propagation of cracks, the evolution of porosity, delamination, sintering consolidation, or even electrode expansion under load, etc.
  • Validating models and simulations: by obtaining quantitative 4D data to feed and compare with your numerical models.
  • Optimizing industrial processes: by reducing costly trial-and-error through direct observation of parameter effects—for example, in sintering sequences, 3D printing parameters, pharmaceutical formulation, etc.
  • Diagnostics and expertise: by reconstructing the in-service conditions of failed parts to determine root causes.
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Real-time tomography services

Each of the following services can be delivered as 3D/4D volume datasets, quantitative measurements, and an interpretation report:

  • In situ mechanical testing campaign (tension/compression): crack initiation and propagation, evolution of micro-damage
  • Sintering & densification monitoring: porosity closure kinetics, grain growth
  • In situ thermal testing (thermal shocks and cycles): thermal cracking, differential expansion, relaxation, dendrite formation
  • In operando electrochemical experiments on batteries and fuel cells: electrode expansion, porosity/chemisorption evolution, dendrite formation
  • In situ corrosion / chemical reactions: deposit growth, fluid penetration, chemical attacks
  • Monitoring of dissolution or wet pharmaceutical processes: granulation, consolidation and porosity in granules or tablets
  • Digitization of food processes: cooking, freeze-drying, hydration, emulsions
  • Custom R&D campaign: design of experiments or state-of-the-art loading equipment
  • Design of loading devices for your lab, based on our Novi-CT Rig series or fully custom-built

 

Technical note: In situ campaigns generate large volumes of data (terabytes). We handle archiving, pre-processing (artifact correction), reconstruction, and optimization (denoising, temporal registration).

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Common equipment and setups in real-time tomography

We design and adapt loading devices to meet the constraints of tomography and manage their integration on synchrotron beamlines or in laboratory environments.

  • Miniature tensile/compression machines from 50 N to 20 kN
  • Heating stages / laser heating, from ambient temperature up to >1000–2000 °C for high-temperature testing
  • Climatic chambers with controlled humidity (10% RH – 90% RH); temperature range from -40 °C to +60 °C
  • Cryogenics
  • Sample holders for in operando testing of electrochemical cells
  • Fluid injection chambers: for liquids, corrosive atmospheres

Case studies in constrained and real-time tomography

See articles

Materials analyzed by in situ micro-tomography

Many materials and processes can be explored using in situ micro-tomography:

  • Powders and mists during consolidation, preforms for sintering
  • Metal parts: additive manufacturing, mechanical test specimens, high-temperature tensile testing
  • Ceramics and glass: sintering, thermal cracking
  • Composites: delamination, fiber/matrix failure, consolidation
  • Batteries, electrodes, fuel cell membranes in operando
  • Pharmaceutical granules and tablets: monitoring of dissolution, curing, compression
  • Food products: cooking, chewing, hydration
  • Biological samples under mechanical stress

Les avantages NOVITOM

Des analyses rapides et fiables

réalisées sur des équipements de dernière génération, par une équipe experte

Une approche sur-mesure

adaptée à vos matériaux, vos contraintes et vos délais

Des résultats clairs

et exploitables grâce à des rapports détaillés et illustrés pour faciliter la prise de décision

Nos autres prestations de caractérisation des matériaux

Analyse 3D de porosités

Analyse 3D de fibres

Caractérisation 3D de fissures

Contrôle non-destructif avancé de pièces finies

Comparaison CAO

Analyses et tests des surfaces

Comprimés et formes solides pharmaceutiques

Accompagnement et partenariat R&D

All our material characterization techniques

3D Non-Destructive Characterization

  • Micro-tomography (µCT): 3D imaging with micrometric resolution
  • Synchrotron micro-tomography (SR-µCT): ultra-fast, high-precision 3D imaging
  • In situ tomography (4D): dynamic monitoring under stress

Chemical Analysis

  • X-ray micro-fluorescence (µXRF): 2D chemical mapping, non-destructive
  • SEM/EDS: surface observation and 2D chemical mapping
  • Spectroscopies (XPS, FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis): surface states, aging, oxidation
  • DSC, TGA, DMA: stability, phase transitions

Nano and Atomic-Scale Characterization

  • X-ray diffraction / micro-diffraction: crystallinity of the matrix
  • TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy): observation of fiber/matrix interfaces
  • AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy): surface topography, roughness, local mechanical properties
  • SAXS (Small-Angle X-ray Scattering): characterization of nanopowders, nanometric fillers
  • Synchrotron nano-tomography: resolution down to 50 nm
  • AFM-IR / Nano-FTIR: chemical mapping at the nanometer scale
  • Profilometry
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