3. Conclusion

Non-destructive 3D imaging using synchrotron X-ray tomography has enabled major advances in materials science over the last decade. The non-destructive aspect has long made it possible to carry out in situ tests (tensile, fatigue, heating, etc.). The method can now be applied at very high spatial and temporal resolution, and in its DCT version enables us to obtain a three-dimensional map of crystalline orientations in polycrystals. All this has been used to revisit a number of classic material problems: cold and hot mechanical damage, phase transformations, crack propagation in mechanical fatigue, all illustrated in this article. In all cases, the quantitative measurements carried out modify the usual perception of the problems. The irrefutable nature of the information gathered enables us to validate or invalidate the laws governing the evolution of the various phases of damage in the...