Introduction X-ray computed microtomography (XCMT) studies were carried out to visualize and characterize the microstructures of three characteristic coatings applied in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and prosthetic bone implants. The experiments focused on the quantitative characterization of porosity and its variation with thickness. Through these studies, we can further our understanding of the influence that environmental exposure has on relative changes in the microstructural features of these coatings. In the case of TBCs and SOFCs, we focused on quantifying the effects that increasing the temperature and time would have on microstructural changes in the coatings. In the case of bone implants, cell growth was the primary focus. The excellent energy tunability of XOR beamline 2-BM at the APS allowed us to characterize multilayered coatings of interest.