Advanced ceramics, composites, biomaterials, polymers, smart materials and sensors are currently being developed for a variety of applications in aerospace, medicine, defense and alternative energy systems. Accurate 3D analysis of their micro and nanostructures, porosity, defects and chemistry are crucial to predict and correlate mechanical properties to reliability, performance and the design of next generation materials. While conventional imaging modalities such as optical microscopy, SEM with FIB, AFMs have good resolution, they are limited to surface imaging in 2D and require destructive sample preparation to reveal buried structures. Existing non destructive techniques such as X-ray/Neutron radiography, acoustic, eddy current techniques lack the resolution for micro and nano structural characterization. Resolution of conventional microCT or nanoCT (micro or nano x-ray computed tomography) are limited to the spot size of the x-ray source, sample size and sample-source working distance. Besides conventional CT systems often lack the contrast to satisfactorily image soft materials, biological tissue or polymer blends. We describe a suite of novel lab-based X-ray CT for 3D imaging of materials across lengthscales and resolutions. Samples with dimension from several cm to microscopic sizes may be imaged at resolution from mm to sub 50 nm. Multilengthscale 3D characterization of composites, polymer blends with flame retardants, high temperature ceramics, biomaterial-soft tissue interaction, biochip and electronic sensors will be illustrated with a focus on porosity, material phase distribution, coating thickness, bonding/joint integrity and cracks/defects after fabrication, stress, impact or thermal mechanical tests. Comparison of results from the novel lab based CT with ceramography, serial sectioning, SEM and synchrotron x-ray tomography will also be discussed

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