HIGH TRANSMISSIVITY X-RAY FOIL AND WINDOW ASSEMBLIES FOR MEDICAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND ANALYTICAL APPLICATIONS
Materion offers high-quality beryllium X-ray foil and window assemblies for a range of medical, industrial, and analytical X-ray sources and detectors in commercial quantities. Beryllium provides high transmissivity to X-rays and high strength, even in foil gauges. It also has low specific heat at cryogenic temperatures, a low neutron capture cross-section and low electrical resistivity.
X-RAY FOIL IMAGE CLARITY
Artifacts and impurities in X-ray foils can lead to degraded image quality and less accurate scans. We offer several grades of beryllium with varying purity levels, including an artifact-free specification for improved image clarity. Each grade can be cut to shape including rectangles, discs and custom configurations upon request.
View the data sheets below for details about foil thickness and chemistry of our X-ray products:
- IF-1® grade – 99.8% minimum Be, very high purity foil
- PF-60® grade – 99.0% minimum Be, high purity, foil
- IS-50M® mammography grade – 99.0% minimum Be, high purity foil
- PS-200® grade – 98.5% minimum Be, standard purity foil
We have increased the production capacity of our highest purity commercial grade of beryllium foil to fully support the growing commercial X-ray industry and the scientific research community. IF-1® grade beryllium foil is 99.8% pure beryllium and offers great X-ray clarity for artifact-free applications, mammography and semiconductor inspection. We also now offer thicker gauges, which are an ideal solution for synchrotrons and X-ray lensing.
Learn more about our beryllium foil, compare the transmittance of each of our foils or compare the varying foil chemistries.
Foil Integrity Classifications
Our beryllium X-ray foil is available in three integrity grades classified as vacuum-tight, optically-dense, and as-rolled. We define those standards as follows:
- Vacuum tight has no detectable leakage through the foil when tested with a helium mass spectrometer leak detector, with sensitivity of 1 x 10-9 atm-cc/sec.
- Optically dense foil is not penetrated by visible light when tested by illuminating one side of the foil over a restricted area with a high intensity light source and viewing from the opposite side in a darkened room.
- As-rolled is supplied in as-produced condition, not inspected or guaranteed to be vacuum tight or optically dense.
RELIABLE X-RAY WINDOW ASSEMBLIES AND TUBES
To ensure reliable, superior performance for the most accurate medical images and commercial scans, we manufacture beryllium X-ray window assemblies using a specialized bonding process. We join the X-ray foil to the window or tube using diffusion bonding to create a strong seal. This bonding is accomplished at temperatures below the melting point of the interstitial alloy, resulting in high temperature performance without compromising the strength of the beryllium, a principle weakness of conventionally brazed windows.
Our beryllium X-ray components are integrated into a wide range of medical applications and industrial equipment for advanced manufacturing. Our X-ray tubes and X-ray window assemblies are used in CT scan systems, analytical X-rays, handheld XRF, baggage inspection equipment, X-ray spectroscopy, metal alloy analysis and a range of engineering applications.
CASE STUDY: IMPROVING MEDICAL IMAGING WITH BERYLLIUM
Varex Imaging Corporation, a world leader in medical X-rays and image processing solutions, streamlined their production of advanced X-ray systems working with Materion to supply them with high X-ray transmission beryllium window assemblies. Read more in our case study.
Read more in our new medical imaging case study.
Download THE Case Study
Work with our engineers to learn more about incorporating our X-ray window assembles into your imaging equipment.