1999 Volume 85 Issue 2 Pages 174-179
A new method for the observation of the macroscopic distribution images of light elements in metals by the charged particle activation-au-toradiography was developed by the use of the highly sensitive imaging plate (IP) instead of the conventional X-ray film.
Surfaces of metallic samples (max. size: about 120 mm×120 mm×5 mm) were irradiated by the 3He ion beam of cyclotron, and then were kept in contact with the IP's for appropriate exposure times. Light elements such as B, C and O were activated in higher yields compared with other coexistent elements and the macroscopic two dimensional distribution images of radionuclides produced from those elements (e.g.: 11C from B or C and 18F from O) were obtained by the above-mentioned IP-autoradiography.
The method developed was applied to observe the distribution images of C and O in steels and B and 0 in Al alloys. The results obtained were consistent with the results by chemical analysis. The method was considered to be useful especially for the evaluation of macroscopic defects in metallic materials such as segregations, inclusions or surface contaminations.
