Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation of Materials at the US Army Research Laboratory

The MMSD of WMRD within ARL performs basic and applied research and development in a number of materials fabrication and manufacturing areas utilizing a variety of NDT/NDE techniques, including low- and medium-energy (100-450 keV), submicron and mesoscale (submillimeter) spatial resolution XCT, conventional and phased array ultrasonic immersion (raster) scanning, and interference-based microwave frequency (raster) scanning. The division has a few other periodically utilized NDT/NDE capabilities, including frequency modulated electromagnetic scanning for evaluation of armor ceramics, terahertz scanning, and thermography. Work is under contract and ongoing to add very high energy (9 MeV) XCT scanning to the NDT laboratories' capabilities. Secondly, through-transmission immersion and noncontact (air) UT scanning modalities will be brought online in the near future. The NDT/NDE functions are organized in a number of separate laboratories focused on a particular method or purpose. The overall work is generally not centralized, and mission or internal work is brought to the NDT laboratories and researchers by any number of branches within MMSD as well as other divisions and directorates, including those that perform research and development in lethality, survivability, mobility, and personnel and vehicle protection (armor/antiarmor). Customer or external work is brought in by NDT/NDE materials researchers by collaborating with outside organizations where there are mutually beneficial research efforts. The NDT laboratories continue to evaluate and analyze a wide variety of materials and materiel, including metals, ceramics, polymers and polymer composites, mixed composites (such as metal matrix composites and ceramic matrix composites), parts/components, and assemblies. NDT/NDE laboratory thrust areas include advanced XCT and image (data) processing for evaluation, qualification, and certification and real-time UT of AM parts integrated into AM machines for in-situ monitoring and process monitoring. Current and future emphasis is being placed on enabling microstructural sensitivity in various NDT techniques. Additionally, near real-time XCT scanning, also called 4D scanning, of relatively small-scale AM 3D printing processes is being investigated.