High-contrast X-ray radiography using hybrid semiconductor pixel detectors with 1 mm thick Si sensor as a tool for monitoring liquids in natural building stones

For the preservation of buildings and other cultural heritage, the application of various conservation products such as consolidants or water repellents is often used. X-ray radiography utilizing semiconductor particle-counting detectors stands out as a promising tool in research of consolidants inside natural building stones. However, a clear visualization of consolidation products is often accomplished by doping with a contrast agent, which presents a limitation. This approach causes a higher attenuation for X-rays, but also alters the penetration ability of the original consolidation product. In this contribution, we focus on the application of Medipix type detectors newly equipped with a 1 mm thick Si sensor. This thicker sensor has enhanced detection efficiency leading to extraordinary sensitivity for monitoring consolidants and liquids in natural building stones even without any contrast agent. Consequently, methods for the direct monitoring of organosilicon consolidants and dynamic visualization of the water uptake in the Opuka stone using high-contrast X-ray radiography are demonstrated. The presented work demonstrates a significant improvement in the monitoring sensitivity of X-ray radiography in stone consolidation studies and also shows advantages of this detector configuration for X-ray radiography in general.