Measurements of the density profile in oxidized graphite by X-ray computed tomography

Abstract A computed tomography (CT) has been applied to the measurement of the density profile in nuclear-grade isotropic graphite (IG-11) having an oxidation gradient. The density profile of oxidized graphite was estimated from the CT number of oxidized graphite as the basis of the CT number and density of unoxidized graphite. On the other hand, the density profile of oxidized graphite was calculated from the weight loss and volume of the removed layer which were incrementally ground from the exterior surface. The agreement between the estimated and the measured results was good in regard to the density profile of oxidized graphite. Further, some tomograms of nuclear-grade graphites with artificial defects were tested using the X-ray CT scanner. The features of the defects in the graphite were also verified from the tomograms, but the accurate dimension of these defects could not be obtained.