Investigation of soot sediments in particulate filters and engine components

The investigation of soot sediments can be crucial for the development of improved components for combustion engines and for the identification of potential hazards. Here we present a number of exemplary studies of soot sediments in such components, which demonstrate the potential of neutron tomography in this field. Neutrons are well suited for imaging massive metal parts, which they can penetrate easily, allowing for imaging entire components with volumes of tens to hundreds of cubic centimeters non-destructively, whilst still being sensitive to lighter elements, in this case hydrogen-containing soot. Up-to-date techniques such as high-resolution and monochromatic neutron tomography have been applied in order to investigate soot sediments from fine particles in the pores of SiC diesel soot filters to massive structures in vent tubes of an aircraft.