Applying lab-based DCT to reveal and quantify the 3D grain structure of a miniature chess rook produced by binder jetting

Imaging the 3D grain microstructure of additively manufactured (AM) metal samples non-destructively is key to a better understanding of the material performance. Recent advances of lab-based diffraction contrast tomography (DCT) enable non-destructively mapping the spatial distribution of crystallographic orientations in the bulk of certain types of metal AM parts. Combining these 3D texture measurements with traditional absorption contrast tomography (ACT) gives unprecedented insights into materials structure, such as the spatial distribution of porosities and the relationship between microstructural anisotropies and the build direction. Here, the combination of ACT and DCT is exemplified for a metal AM sample produced by binder jetting. This application highlights some of the recent technical progress enabling 3D mapping of metal AM structures and leads to a discussion of remaining challenges for lab-based DCT in the metal AM field.