Neutron Imaging is a radiographic technique similar to X-Ray imaging, where a beam of neutrons is passed through a sample in order to reveal its internal structure. The neutrons interact directly with atoms’ nuclei rather than with their electrons as X-rays do. This makes neutron imaging far more sensitive to the presence of light elements such as hydrogen, lithium, boron, and carbon, which are typically nearly transparent to X-rays, while being able to penetrate deeply into dense materials such as lead. Neutron imaging finds applications in non-destructive analysis, electrochemistry – where it may be used to track the motion of lithium or hydrogen in batteries of fuel cells, determining the hydrogen or moisture content of various samples, and the imaging of radioactive samples. 

The MUTR neutron imaging system utilizes a thermalized neutron beam from the thermal column with an L/D ratio of about 15. Neutron flux at full power is approximately 1.0 x 10⁴ n/cm²/sec. After passing through the sample, the neutrons strike a Li-6 doped ZnS screen and are converted to light. An Andor Solis iXon+ cooled CCD camera with a 1002×1004 pixel sensor is used to record the images. Most non-hazardous samples can easily be imaged in the Neutron Imaging Facility. Most samples do not become significantly activated and can be returned to the experimenter. The beam spot is approximately 4 cm in diameter and the neutron imaging system has a resolution of approximately 600 μm. A tomographic capability is also available (right).