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Abstract: Recent developments of more powerful synchrotron sources have led to vast improvements in the performance of X-ray imaging. This is manifested by a continuous increase in the impact of synchrotron experiments in many research areas on materials, in particular solidification science. X-ray imaging has been established as a method of choice for in situ and real-time studies of solidification microstructure formation in metallic alloys, with spatio-temporal resolutions at the scales of relevance. In this article, we present illustrative results of the current capabilities of synchrotron X-ray imaging in this field of research, each of them using different X-ray techniques (radiography, topography and tomography). Those results demonstrate the high potential of these techniques for the investigation of dynamical phenomena in materials processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the field of materials science, it is common to relate mechanical or physical behaviour to microstructure in order to optimize materials. Usually the observation of the microstructure is made using an optical or electronic microscope to obtain images in two dimensions. However, the measurable parameters in 2D are limited and often the techniques involved to obtain these images are destructive. Thanks to X-ray micro-tomography it is possible to overcome these two difficulties. The purpose of this article is to show the enormous contribution of this tool in the understanding and the modelling of some physical phenomena involved in aluminium alloys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The features associated with modern synchrotron radiation machines (intense and coherent beams) result in a substantial extension of X-ray imaging capabilities in terms of spatial and temporal resolution, phase contrast and 3D images. This allows crystal growth-related information to be obtained which is not available otherwise. After briefly describing the main synchrotron radiation based imaging techniques of interest, we give original examples illustrating the new capabilities for crystal growth: characterisation of crystals grown for applications, such as ice tri-crystals produced for mechanical deformation studies; SiC; crystalline silicon for solar photovoltaic cells; in situ and in real time studies of quasicrystal growth (AlPdMn); and ultrafast tomography for the study of the growth of dendrites in metallic alloys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]