Thanks all for contributing to MC2019 Berlin; congratulations to awardees, Jan and Peter!

September 6, 2019

The biannual microscopy meeting, Microscopy Conference 2019, concluded with success last week in Berlin. During this conference we have contributed to organize a symposium session (Materials Science 2: thin films, interfaces, coatings, composites, co-chaired by Prof. Erdmann Spiecker and Dr. Martina Luysberg), one invited talk (Peter Schweizer), four platform presentations and six poster presentations.

The poster “Correlative FIB/SEM-informed high-resolution x-ray tomography: a case study on a Co-base superalloy oxide scale” presented by Jan Rosiwal (Bachelor thesis work) won best poster prize in the instrumental session.

In his work, Jan has performed X-ray nano-tomography analysis of the oxide scales in a Co-based superalloy using a correlative approach with complementary information with other tomographic techniques. One of the grand challenges in X-ray nano-tomography is how to confidently and properly interpret the contrast (i.e., gray levels) of the tomogram datasets in terms of the physical objects in the sample (e.g., voids, precipitates of different phases). Theoretically, one can simulate the image/contrast formation for simple objects. This is however very difficult to validate for complex scenarios like in the current case of nano-oxide scales in a superalloy with multiparty phases. Jan and colleagues at WW9 have contributed in the last years to the development of an experimental approach: correlating the multi-dimensional information from different tomographic techniques from the identical sample, i.e., correlative microscopy. Particularly in this work, the advantage of three methods are combined to render the full picture of the microstructure of the sample: large analyzable sample volume of X-ray tomography, elemental information from energy dispersive X-ray mapping in SEM, high-resolution of FIB slice-and-view. The results obtained in this work provide quantitative information at statistic-relevant volume and nano-scale resolution on the depth-dependent distribution, size and shape of the oxides scales in the sample, making one step further to understand the oxidation behavior of the Co-based superalloy and to improve the oxidation resistance of the superalloy. It’s worth to note that the work of FIB slice-and-view on the oxide scales by Nadine Buchinger, also a Bachelor work, was recognized by the scientific community and awarded a best poster award during MSE 2018, Darmstadt.

Moreover, Peter Schweizer also won a second prize in the image contest.

Thanks all for their contributions, and especially, congratulations to the awardees!

Peter Denninger on the stage