Steel inclusion detection using high resolution X-ray non-destructive testing

SilverRay Ltd is a start-up company whose primary goal is to exploit a proprietary technology developed for the production of large area, high sensitivity X-ray detectors for real-world applications. This proprietary technology has demonstrated a 2-3 orders of magnitude higher X-ray detection sensitivity than conventional organic detectors, whilst operating at low voltages and offering excellent shaping to complex surfaces. Further, the technology has detected X-radiation over a broad energy range, from 60 kV to 6 MV, making it applicable for a variety of end applications such as medical radiography, non-destructive testing, and security border controls, amongst others.

The current, dominant technology for non-destructive testing (NDT) by radiography is the use of advanced digital X-ray imaging technology based on inflexible flat panel detectors, with outputs displayed directly on to a computer screen. The detectors cannot be flexed, and need to be used in its rigid form with care due to its high expense and fragility. This is in comparison to the traditional and widely used flexible photographic film technology which allows access to complex parts/corners of an object but which does not offer real-time imaging or digital manipulation.

At SilverRay Ltd, we have developed a detector active material consisting of a printable 'X-ray sensitive ink' containing two elements: an interpenetrating network of organic material and inorganic nanoparticles. The 'X-ray sensitive ink' can be used to coat X-ray sensitive pixelated films over a wide range of substrates, including the development of flexible detectors.

Thus far, small area detectors (<1 cm2) have been successfully developed by SilverRay Ltd. The aim of the current project is to scale up the technology to large area (8x2.5 cm2) conformable, multi-pixel, digital devices suitable for X-ray imaging in NDT applications. Readout electronics will be developed allowing for remote NDT examination in a manufacturing setting. With the project collaborator, Tata Steel, detector performance will be tested in a real world application on safety critical products used in the construction industry.

The X-ray imaging system produced as an outcome of this feasibility programme will allow SilverRay to demonstrate their proprietary large area digital film based technology at a scale suitable for many other applications including NDT. This novel breakthrough technology is backed by a US granted patent application, and will be initially adopted to manufacture detectors suitable for NDT applications such as for the safety critical products identified here.