X-ray computed tomography vs Archimedes method: a head-to-head comparison

Abstract

Metal additive manufacturing (AM) is growing rapidly towards industrial adoption in various industries, but porosity remains a concern because it creates areas of stress that affects the mechanical properties and reduces reliability. Porosity can be quantified by X-ray computed tomography (XCT), but the method is relatively slow and expensive. The Archimedes density measurement method is widely used due to the low cost and ease of operation; however, it is limited in its precision for low porosity levels. In this work, a series of additively manufactured aluminium 6061-Ti6 alloy samples with different types and quantities of porosities are subjected to Archimedes, gas pycnometer and X-ray methods. This work clarifies the application range and limitations of each of these methods, using 10 mm cubes of Al 6061-Ti6 manufactured by laser powder bed fusion.