Simultaneous neutron transmission and diffraction imaging investigations of single crystal nickel-based superalloy turbine blades

The integrity of turbine blades is at the heart of every operating aerospace engine or land-based gas turbine. In the most demanding environments, they are cast as single crystals. Whereas traditional neutron imaging is an excellent tool for the non-destructive testing in search of cracks or residual core material, it is insensitive to variations in crystallographic properties. In this work we show that by simultaneous imaging of the diffracted neutrons, one can also probe variations in crystal orientation. In a matter of seconds, different dendritic growth in two industrial turbine blades could be ascertained. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.