J.-M. Rey
POSITHÔT,
France
Keywords: nondestructive testing, defect measurement, positron
Summary:
Positron annihilation spectroscopy is a non-destructive testing method, providing a very high sensitivity from the size of the atom to the size of cracks. It allows density measurement of point-defects and point-defect clusters, in mechanical parts, semi-conductor components, etc. This technique provides information on the aging level of stressed parts before the crack formation, free volume in polymers, defect density in semi-conductors, porosity in catalysts or filtering materials, without affecting the atomic structure of the analyzed materials. The industrial application of this technique can now be foreseen, thanks to a newly developed nonradioactive transportable positron generator developed by “POSITHÔT – the Antimatter Manufacture”, a start-up dedicated to nondestructive testing solutions where high precision is requested. This innovation allows to develop new concept of nondestructive testing, and will move the activity towards nondestructive ageing metrology.