A fourth-generation X-ray computer-assisted tomography (CAT) scanner was used for the study of fluidized and trickle beds. A variety of exploratory experiments were performed, and images of density and holdup were obtained in three dimensions as a function of time. The gas/solid fluidized beds were glass bead/nitrogen and polyethylene/nitrogen systems. The trickle bed was a glass bead/nitrogen/water system. The algorithms presented can be used to determine holdup from X-ray absorption data. These algorithms-extensions of similar algorithms used for the calculation of fluid saturations in porous media-are applied on data of CAT scanner images as they are generated by the scanner and after they are transferred to a workstation. The results of the presented tests demonstrate how detailed holdup calculations can be performed in a chemical reactor. Radial and longitudinal variances of the holdup can be easily defined. The proposed algorithms can assist in the design of chemical reactor prototypes.