Micro/nano X-ray tomography reconstruction fine-tuning using scanning electron microscope images

Abstract

The use of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images as references for threshold tuning of X-ray micro/nano computed tomography reconstruction is proposed. In this research, high-resolution SEM images were used to provide a good estimation of the fibre diameter in the surface of gas diffusion layers (GDL) (5–10 µm). The X-ray tomography reconstructed binary images containing 3D information, including both the surface and the inside volume. Using the SEM images of a particular feature in carbon fibres, GDL layers were compared with the reconstructed surface of that feature from X-ray tomography data and provided the threshold estimation for reconstruction of the whole structure. Fibre diameter and continuity of the material from both the CT reconstruction and SEM images were analysed to obtain the optimum reconstruction. A linear relationship between fibre diameter and threshold variation has been found for micro/nano tomography of GDL layers.