Investigation of the film Kodak MX 125 in Agfa NDT S eco processing

Transcription

1 Investigation of the film Kodak MX 125 in Agfa NDT S eco processing Test Report-No.: BAM VIII.3 / 6568b Date: Name and address Kodak GmbH, of the customer: Hedelfinger Straße 60, Stuttgart, Germany Investigation: Measurement of the film system parameters according to DIN EN 584-1, pren 584-1:2004, ISO and ASTM E (2001) of the film Kodak MX125 Emulsion No. REF , LOT packed in evacuated Contactpak with lead screens (0.027 mm) and film processing according to the test specification Test specification: Investigation of the film Kodak MX125 in Agfa Structurix Eco chemistry for automatic processing in Agfa NDT S eco machine with 5 min cycle time, immersion time 63 seconds temperature 30 C Date of testing: Place of testing: BAM Berlin This report consists of 6 pages of text including one figure. The publication of the test report - also in parts - in word, writing and picture, sound, film and television requires the written consent of the Federal Institute. The same applies to each use of the test report in the same manner for the purposes of advertising. The consent can be revoked by the Federal Institute at any time.

2 BAM Test Report page 2 of 6 pages BAM Ref.:VIII.3/6568b Aim of the investigation: Processing of the emulsion LOT of the mentioned non-destructive testing film Kodak MX 125 in the processing chemistry Agfa Structurix Eco (processor AGFA NDT S eco, cycle time 5 min, immersion time 63 s, temperature 30 C) and measurement of the film system parameters gradient and granularity as well as determination of the gradient/granularity-ratio according to the standards DIN EN 584-1, pren 584-1:2004, ISO and ASTM E (2001). Test Program: 1. Exposure of the films in steps of optical density with an automatic film transport unit at conditions according to the above standards. 2. Development of the films. 3. Measurement of the optical density of the steps to determine the characteristic film curve and the film gradients at D-D 0 = 2.00 and D-D 0 = Measurement of the granularity at D-D 0 = 2.00 ± Instruments for processing and measurements: The exposures of the films (packed in Contactpak with mm lead screens) were performed with the filtered (8 mm Cu) 220 kv radiation of a highly stabilized X-ray facility (320 Isovolt D for dosimetry of the Seifert company) and an automated computer controlled film transport for exposure. For the measurement of the diffuse optical density a calibrated densitometer (Macbeth TD 502) was used, while the granularity was measured with a computer controlled microdensitometer of the type Joyce Loebl 3CS with a quadratic aperture of 100 µm x 100 µm. Film processing: For the automatic processing in the developer Agfa Structurix ecodev (part A: G , , part B: G , ) the following parameters were observed: temperature of the developer 30 C, immersion time 63s, cycle time of the process 5 minutes. Procedure for determination of the film system parameters according to EN 584-1, pren 584-1:2004, ISO and ASTM E (2001): The system parameters gradient G(2) and G(4) at the optical densities 2.00 and 4.00 above fog and base (D 0 ), the granularity σ D and the gradient/granularity-ratio G(2)/σ D are determined for a film system, which comprises a film type and the processing chemistry inclusive the processing. In detail the following processing steps were carried out: - procurement of films and processing chemicals,

3 BAM Test Report page 3 of 6 pages BAM Ref.:VIII.3/6568b - preparation of the developer and fixer according to the prescriptions of the manufacturer, - activation of the developer with a starter and approximately 1 m 2 film material - test exposure for the determination of the suitable exposure times for the steps of optical density, - exposure of at least 6 film samples for each system with filtered 220 kv radiation on at least 12 steps of optical density between D=1 and D= 4.7 in each case (see procedure in DIN EN 584-1, pren 584-1:2004, ISO , ASTM E (2001)), - processing of the films according to the prescriptions of the manufacturer and controlling by a film test strip according to DIN EN and ISO , - measurement of the processed films with the Macbeth densitometer and storage of the exposure data and the density values as the average of 3 measured values per density step in a file as well as the density of fog and film base, - evaluation of the data by approximation of the film curve by a third order polynomial and determination of the gradient G(2) for the density D - D 0 = 2.00 and the gradient G(4) at D - D 0 = 4.00 in accordance with DIN EN 584-1, pren 584-1:2004, ISO and ASTM E (2001), - measurement of the local density fluctuations of the films at density D - D 0 = 2.00 ± 0.05 with a microdensitometer (scan length 140 mm), - calibration of the microdensitometer into diffuse optical density with the aid of a film sample of the investigated film system, - calculation of the root mean square σ D of the optical density after conversion of the specular density into diffuse density, a digital high pass filtering to cut off low frequency noise below 0.1 mm -1 and the determination of the median according to ISO/DIS and pren 584-1:2004, - conversion of the granularity value into the corresponding value for measurements with a circular aperture with a diameter of 100 µm, - correction of the granularity value on the basis of measured density above fog and base to D - D 0 = 2.00, - calculation of the average of the relevant data from at least 6 film samples. Results: The diffuse density of fog and film base results in: D 0 = 0.23 The characteristic curve of the film shows up to the density 4.5 above fog and base the usual shape. Under the given conditions the exposed dose for density 2 above fog and base amounts to: K S = (8.5 ± 0.2) mgy

4 BAM Test Report page 4 of 6 pages BAM Ref.:VIII.3/6568b According to table 2 of DIN EN this corresponds to a CEN speed of: S = 125 The values of the gradients determined under the given conditions amount to: G (2) = 4.48 ± 0.02 G (4) = 7.71 ± 0.03 The granularity σ D at density D - D 0 = 2.00 results in: σ D = ± The gradient/granularity-ratio is calculated to: G(2) / σ D = 215 According to table 1 of DIN EN the limiting values for the film system class C3 amount to: G (2) 4.1, G (4) 6.8, σ D 0.023, G(2)/σ D 180 The film system consisting of emulsion LOT of the Kodak film type MX125, developed in the developer Agfa Structurix Eco (automatic processing in AGFA NDT S eco, cycle time 5 min), immersion time 63 seconds, temperature 30 C, meets the requirements of the film system class C3 of the standard DIN EN and pren 584-1:2004, system class I of ASTM E (2001) and system class T2 of ISO The values and its standard deviations mentioned above were determined from the respective values of the gradients and the granularity at the given densities (D - D 0 = 2.00 and D - D 0 = 4.00) from 6 film samples. The plots in the added graph (page 6, optical density (above fog and base) and gradient) result from the average of 6 film curves measured on 8 different film samples of the emulsion. Certified Agfa Structurix PMC strips with serial number E029, exp. date , were used to proof the state of the developing chemistry. The following indices were determined corresponding to EN and ISO : S x = 2.22 (+8%) compared to S r =2.05 and C x = 1.47 (-2%) comp. to C r = The certified Kodak Industrex preexposed control strips batch no. 074, exp. date , provide the following indices (as reference values the values for Kodak Industrex single part developer at 100s and 26 C have been used): S x = 2.11 (+11%) compared to S r =1.9 and C x = 1.10 (+0%) compared to C r = 1.1. The Kodak certified process monitor strips indicate deviations larger than 10% from the certified values, but the reference value provided in the certificate is for Kodak Industrex single part developer at 26 C. The AGFA certified process monitor strips (reference values for the

5 BAM Test Report page 5 of 6 pages BAM Ref.:VIII.3/6568b chemistry used, but 29 C developer temperature) indicates that the chemistry is within the specification (see EN 584-2, paragraph 6). Finally, the Agfa Structurix Thio-Test was performed to estimate the archivability of the processed films. The evaluation of the results according to ISO results in: L.E. = 100 (colour of the light step indicating a Life Expectancy of 100 years) Remark: This report summarizes only the results of the measurements at a single emulsion and is valid only for this special emulsion, especially it states no general classification of a film system. For a system classification corresponding to EN and pr EN 584-1:2004 a continuous measurement of all films of all manufactured emulsions by an independent third party is necessary, or, the continuous own product control in the house of the manufacturer in connection with the participation in a proficiency test according to pren 584-1:2004 for the harmonisation of the measuring procedures and algorithms and sample test measurements by an independent third party. Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und prüfung (BAM) D Berlin, Division VIII.3 Nondestructive Testing and Characterization; Radiation Techniques Working group VIII.35 Digital Radiology and Image Analysis By order By order Prof. Dr. U. Ewert Dr. U. Zscherpel

6 BAM Test Report page 6 of 6 pages BAM Ref.:VIII.3/6568b