Speaker
Description
Weld characterization requires both compositional and structural information, yet conventional X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) are typically performed sequentially, increasing acquisition time and complicating spatial correlation. In this work, we demonstrate spatially resolved, simultaneous XRD and XRF analysis of welded metal plates using a pnCCD-based Color X-ray Camera (CXC). The CXC records both the location and energy of each detected photon with high precision, enabling separation of diffraction and fluorescence signals, and thus, produces diffraction patterns with minimal fluorescence background and fluorescence spectra free of diffraction peaks. Experiments used a 50 W polychromatic X-ray source with an Rh target, focused through a slit in forward reflection geometry.
Samples included DC01 (mild steel), 1.4307 (austenitic stainless steel), and 7075 aluminum plates, each 3 mm thick, prepared by TIG and laser welding. For each material and welding method, both a properly welded and a defective sample were analyzed. Each sample was scanned from 15 mm outside the weld, across the weld zone, and 15 mm into the bulk on the opposite side at five horizontal positions. Data processing separated diffraction and fluorescence signals, yielding structural information that can be directly correlated with elemental distributions.
This framework enables systematic evaluation of spatial variations across materials, welding techniques, and weld quality. The setup achieves simultaneous XRD/XRF without monochromators or complex optics, relying only on slit-based collimation, and reduces measurement time compared to conventional laboratory energy-dispersive XRD. The results demonstrate the feasibility of multipixel XRD/XRF for weld characterization and its potential for industrial quality control, materials engineering, and failure analysis.