Size and shape determination of submillimeter sized abrasive particles with X-ray computed tomography

In this paper, we will present a method to measure irregular-shaped par ticles 50-150 μm in size using X-ray computed tomography. From the volume measurements of the particles, elements su ch as their volume-equivalent diameters can be calculated along with their statistical size distribution. The use of the VG StudioMa x 2.2® module Defect Detection allows fast and straightforward computation and validation of important shape parameter s, such as sphericity or Legendre ellipse of inertia, for thousands of particles at a time. An optional calculation of the pr oj cted area of each particle permits a comparison to size determinations from other 2D imaging methods, such as automated dy namic flow particle imaging. Our method has been developed for the characterization of particles in high-temperature solid-particle erosion, but applications can also be found in many other areas where a high number of particles have to be charac terized in an efficient way.