X-rays to the marrow of metals

1998/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Industria
• Patenteak/Asmakizunak

In order to improve steel and metal deformation systems, the US National Institute of Technology and Standardization is investigating metal crystals through X-rays. When metals undergo deformation, their mechanical characteristics change due to changes in the crystal structure.

In order to see and understand these changes it is necessary to bomb the metal during its deformation with an x-ray beam and analyze the dispersion of the rays.

If you know the metal structure and the stresses it supports, you can find dislocations that predict its behavior and explain the pieces to know where the piece may fail. This advance aims to facilitate the construction of the molds necessary for the manufacture of parts in the automotive industry. Institute physicist Lyle Levine believes that manufacturing these forms has become more than just science. Researchers should review and modify mold designs over and over again, as they cannot know where cracks occur until trials are conducted.