Development of tensile testing machine for x-ray microtomography

X-ray microtomography (X_μCT) is a powerful tool to observe the interior three-dimensional (3D) structures of the sample without destruction. By using the nano-focus X-ray source and high-resolution X-ray detectors, the spatial resolution of XμCT is approaching 1 μm. XμCT is applicable to the opaque samples, which is one of the advantages to the laser-scanning confocal microscopy. In the present study, a tensile testing machine was developed as an attachment to XμCT. The components of the tensile testing machine are enclosed in a monolithic beryllium tube, the diameter is 17 mm and the thickness is 1 mm. The maximum load is 100 N, and the range of the cross-head speed is 0.1 - 10 mm/min. The maximum stroke is 20 mm. The maximum thickness and width of the specimen are, respectively, 0.5 mm and 5.0 mm. The length of the sample is 15 mm to 25 mm.