Attenuation of ultrasonic waves in V, Nb and Ta at low temperatures

Variation of ultrasonic attenuation and velocities with temperature have been evaluated in the temperature range 5-50 K due to electron-phonon interaction mechanism in transition metals vanadium, niobium and tantalum for longitudinal and shear waves. For this evaluation, we have also computed the second order elastic constants using Morse potential. Behaviour of acoustical phonons in these bcc metals is different from other normal metals, intermetallics, semimetallics and alloys. Some characteristic features of these materials connected to ultrasonic parameters are discussed.     

Characterization of solutionizing behavior in VT14 titanium alloy using ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements

VT14 titanium alloy (Ti–4.5Al–3Mo–1V) was subjected to a series of heat treatments consisting of solutionizing for 1 h at the selected temperatures in range of 923–1323 K at an interval of 50 K, followed by water quenching. Hardness and optical microscopy results are correlated with ultrasonic longitudinal and shear wave velocities and attenuation in these specimens. Ultrasonic velocities and hardness decrease with solution annealing temperature (SAT) in the 923–1123 K range. Beyond 1123 up to 1223 K, they increase slightly. Beyond 1223 K, ultrasonic velocities become constant, whereas hardness increases up to 1323 K. Ultrasonic attenuation exhibits an opposite behavior to velocity and hardness. Further, for the first time, authors have shown that ultrasonic velocity can be used to identify the β-transus temperature in this alloy. Because of non-monotonous variation of velocity and attenuation with solutionizing temperature, it was not possible to identify the SAT using any one of these parameters. Hence, a new parameter, ratio of normalized differential of ultrasonic attenuation to normalized differential of ultrasonic velocity (RNDAV) has been used, which is found to increase monotonously with SAT and hence enabling unambiguous characterization of SAT in solution annealed VT14 alloy.     

超声检测技术用于评价20钢高温组织转变

讨论了20钢高温时效组织与超声波速度间的相关性。结果表明:随着时效时间的延长,珠光体中的片状渗碳体逐渐球化并沿晶界聚集成网状,声速以指数规律递减。分析认为:高温时效过程中,珠光体中渗碳体形态、数量及分布的改变在某种程度上削弱了原子间结合力,引起弹性模量E下降,导致超声波速度减小。因此,选择超声检测技术无损评价20钢高温时效组织状态是可行的。     

Grain refinement of AZ91 alloy by introducing ultrasonic vibration during solidification

Ultrasonic vibration was introduced into the solidification of AZ91 alloy. Various microstructures were produced in this alloy using ultrasonic vibrations at different temperatures of the melt. The coarse dendrite microstructures were obtained with ultrasonic vibrations at temperatures below the liquidus temperature. The fine uniform grains were achieved under ultrasonic vibrations during the nucleation stage, which was mainly attributed to the cavitation and the acoustic flow induced by the ultrasonic vibration.     

Measurement of ultrasonic wave velocity in a solid under gas pressures up to 0·4 GPa

A set-up is described for the measurement of longitudinal and transverse wave velocities in a solid under gas pressures up to 0·4 GPa. To check the performance of the set-up, the elastic constants of Se and As₂Se₃ glasses and their pressure derivatives were obtained from the wave velocity data and compared with the data available in the literature.     

Feasibility of using a non-destructive ultrasonic technique for detecting defective seals

The feasibility of using a non-destructive ultrasonic technique for detecting defective seals was studied. It was found that ultrasonic velocity could be used to distinguish defective seals (containing wrinkles, voids, minute amounts of carrot, beef pieces, moisture or bentonite as contaminants) from a good seal. Also, there was a systematic correlation between ultrasonic velocity and the levels of contaminant.     

Elastic properties of rubber particles in toughened PMMA: ultrasonic and micromechanical evaluation

Ultrasonic measurements and micromechanical models are used to evaluate elastic properties of rubber particles dispersed in toughened polymers. Ultrasonic phase velocities and attenuation spectra of rubber-toughened poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with different rubber particle fractions are measured for longitudinal as well as transverse waves. The ultrasonic properties of rubber-toughened PMMA are found to depend markedly on the rubber particle fraction. The bulk and shear moduli determined from the measured velocities are in turn used to estimate those moduli of the particles based on existing micromechanics models, namely the three-phase model and the Hashin–Shtrikman upper and lower bounds. The bulk modulus of the particle estimated by the three-phase model is found to be in close agreement with the result of previous investigators. Implications of the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds for the particle moduli are also examined.     

Constant and variable amplitude fatigue testing of aluminum alloy 2024-T351 with ultrasonic and servo-hydraulic equipment

Constant amplitude (CA) and variable amplitude (VA) fatigue lifetimes of the aluminum alloy 2024-T351 were measured with servo-hydraulic (8–70 Hz) and ultrasonic testing equipment (20 kHz) at positive load ratios. Experiments in the high cycle fatigue regime served to identify influences of frequency and testing method on lifetimes. CA tests showed similar numbers of cycles to failure for both methods. Ultrasonic tests were performed in pulsed mode. In ultrasonic VA tests vibration amplitude of successive pulses of 2000 cycles length is varied. Servo-hydraulic VA tests are performed by varying the load of successive blocks. Servo-hydraulic VA tests with block length 2000 cycles delivered lifetimes similar to the ultrasonic tests. No frequency effect is found in CA and VA tests. Cracks are preferentially initiated at secondary phase particles at both frequencies. Lifetimes in servo-hydraulic VA tests are reduced when block length is decreased from 2000 to 200, 20 and single load cycles. Varying the load for each successive cycle at 50 Hz is realized with a feed-forward optimization of control parameters. Lifetimes differ by a factor 6 for different block lengths indicating a strong load sequence effect.     

Effects of Al and Zn additions on mechanical properties and precipitation behaviors of Mg-Sn alloy system

For the Mg-Sn-Al alloys, the ultimate strength (UTS) of an extruded Mg-9wt.%Al-2wt.%Sn alloy reached 390 MPa. TEM observation indicated that plate-like Mg₁₇Al₁₂ precipitates having Burgers orientation relationship with the matrix are responsible for the strength. This alloy also exhibits an age hardening behavior: the peak hardness appears after 15-20 h of heat treatment at 473 K. On the other hand, the UTS of the Mg-Mg-Sn-Zn alloys are on the order of 300 MPa. The precipitates in these alloys are composed of the Mg₂Sn and MgZn₂ particles. It was found that these phases often precipitate together, suggesting that the MgZn₂ phase can act as a nucleation sites for Mg₂Sn.     

Impact of slide diamond burnishing additional parameters on fatigue behaviour of 2024‐T3 Al alloy

One of the methods for increasing fatigue life of symmetric rotary metal components is slide diamond burnishing (SDB). This method is implemented on conventional and computer numerical control machine tools by means of simple equipment, which is its main advantage. The SDB basic parameters are diamond insert radius, burnishing force, feed rate, and burnishing velocity. The additional ones are number of passes, working scheme, and lubrication conditions. The effect of SDB additional parameters on the fatigue behaviour of 2024‐T3 Al alloy was experimentally studied. Groups of smooth and notched hourglass‐shaped specimens were slide burnished using different combinations of additional SDB parameters and then were subjected to bending fatigue tests. The residual stresses, introduced by SDB, were measured by X‐ray diffraction technique. The near‐surface microstructure of the slide‐burnished specimens was investigated. Based on the results obtained, it was established that SDB produces two main effects, which depend on SDB additional parameters. The essence of the macroeffect is creation of residual compressive stresses in the superficial and subsurface layers. This stresses retard the formation and growth of fatigue macrocracks and thus increase the lifetime of slide‐burnished components. The microeffect is expressed in modifying the microstructure of the surface and subsurface layers, correspondingly, refining the grain and homogenizing and reducing the pores in the material. Such microstructure is characterized by increased plasticity and fatigue crack resistance. The fatigue life depends on the combination of these two effects. Thus, the desired fatigue behaviour of the slide‐burnished component can be ensured through an appropriate selection of the governing additional SDB parameters.     

Ductile rupture in thin sheets of two grades of 2024 aluminum alloy

The damage and rupture mechanisms of thin sheets of 2024 aluminum alloy (Al containing Cu, Mn, and Mg elements) are investigated. Two grades are studied: a standard alloy and a high damage tolerance alloy. The microstructure of each material is characterized to obtain the second phase volume content, the dimensions of particles and the initial void volume fraction. The largest particles consist of intermetallics. Mechanical tests are carried out on flat specimens including U-notched (with various notch radii), sharply V-notched and smooth tensile samples. Stable crack growth was studied using “Kahn samples” and pre-cracked large center-cracked tension panels M(T). The macroscopic fracture surface of the different specimens is observed using scanning electron microscopy. Smooth and moderately notched samples exhibit a slant fracture surface, which has an angle of about 45° with respect to the loading direction. With increasing notch severity, the fracture mode changes significantly. Failure initiates at the notch root in a small triangular region perpendicular to the loading direction. Outside this zone, slant fracture is observed. Microscopic observations show two failure micromechanisms. Primary voids are first initiated at intermetallic particles in both cases. In flat regions, i.e. near the notch root of severely notched samples, void growth is promoted and final rupture is caused by “internal necking” between the large cavities. In slanted regions these voids tend to coalesce rapidly according to a “void sheet mechanism” which leads to the formation of smaller secondary voids in the ligaments between the primary voids. These observations can be interpreted using finite element simulations. In particular, it is shown that crack growth occurs under plane strain conditions along the propagation direction.     

Porosity dependence of elastic moduli in LAST (Lead–antimony–silver–tellurium) thermoelectric materials

Porosity in thermoelectric materials affects the thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of the materials. In this study, the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy technique was used to determine the Young's modulus, E, shear modulus, G, and Poisson's ratio, ν, of 12 hot pressed and five cast polycrystalline specimens of the thermoelectric material LAST (lead–antimony–silver–tellurium) as a function of volume fraction porosity, P, for P ranging from 0.01 to 0.14. A least-squares fit of the Young's and shear moduli data to the relationships E = E_D(1 − b_PEP) and G = G_D(1 − b_PGP), respectively yielded E_D = 58.4 ± 0.6 GPa and G_D = 23.0 ± 0.2 GPa, where E_D and G_D are the estimated Young's modulus and shear modulus at room temperature for theoretically dense specimens, respectively. The unitless, material-dependent constants b_PE and b_PG were b_PE = 3.5 ± 0.2 and b_PG = 3.5 ± 0.2.     

Effects of various parameters on ultrasonic separation of inclusions from magnesium alloy melt

The acoustic radiation force generated by ultrasonic standing wave in the flow media can make solid particles suspending in the liquid agglomerate at the nodal planes of the waves and then realize their separation, which is also known as ultrasonic agglomeration in chemical industry. In this paper, ultrasonic waves were employed to promote and accelerate the separation of inclusions from magnesium alloy melt, and the effect of acoustic radiation forces on oxide inclusions removal from magnesium alloy melts were studied by numerical calculation. The agglomeration behavior of the inclusions was also obtained by solving the equations of motion for inclusions. Finally, parametric studies, usually very helpful for continued optimization and design efforts, were carried out to evaluate the effects of various parameters such as ultrasonic power, ultrasonic treating time, particle size and density difference between particle and melt on the inclusions distribution. The results indicate that when a moderate ultrasonic power was applied, most of inclusions could agglomerate at wave nodes in a short time which finally enhanced and accelerated the separation of inclusions from magnesium alloy melt.     

The vortex morphology model of ultrasonic attenuation in the mixed state of high-Tc superconductors

This paper presents the vortex morphology model concerning the ultrasonic attenuation in the mixed state of high-T_c superconductor. This model pointed out that under different magnetic field and temperature, different vortex morphology appeared in the high-T_c superconductors. There are three factors that can determine ultrasonic attenuation, which are temperature, magnetic field and anisotropy of superconductors’ structures.     

跟骨超声背散射系数与新生儿相关参数的相关性

采用超声背散射法检测新生儿跟骨的超声背散射系数(Ultrasonic Backscatter Coefficient,BSC),并分析BSC与出生胎龄、体重、身长和头围等因素之间的关系,从而评估BSC在评价新生儿松质骨状况中的作用。对122例新生儿的临床测试分析结果表明新生儿跟骨中的BSC与出生时的胎龄、体重和身长有良好的相关性。说明超声背散射信号及其BSC可用于评价新生儿的骨质量。     

Dependence of Ultrasonic Velocity on Porosity and Pore Shape in Sintered Materials

A new approach to predict the longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic velocities in porous materials is presented. The model is based on a previously derived Young's modulus-porosity correlation assuming spheroidal geometry of the pores. It is also assumed that the Poisson's ratio of porous materials does not change significantly with porosity. The longitudinal and transverse ultrasonic velocities are given as functions of the Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, density of the pore-free material and of the porosity and axial ratio (z/x) of the spheroidal pores. Experimental data drawn from the literature on different porous sintered materials including SiC, Al₂O₃, YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x , porcelain, sintered iron, Si₃N₄, and sintered tungsten, were used to verify the model. A strong relationship between pore shape and the slope of the ultrasonic velocity–porosity curve was confirmed. In general, the calculated values are in fairly good agreement with the experimental data. When the actual shape (axial ratio) of the pores was known, the approach was shown to predict the experimental data better than a similar model derived by Phani. It is suggested that the present approach, coupled with the measurement of the ultrasonic velocity, may constitute a simple nondestructive technique to gain knowledge of the morphology of the porosity in sintered materials.     

Effect of heat treatment on ultrasonic velocity in ductile cast iron

Abstract

The measurement of the ultrasonic velocity is a common method in the foundry industry for the evaluation of the nodularity in ductile iron castings. Practical experience has shown that heat treatment can reduce the ultrasonic velocity compared to the as cast condition. Using ductile iron samples with different heat treatments in order to vary the ferrite and pearlite content respectively confirmed this decrease in the ultrasonic velocity compared to the as cast state. Further investigations showed that with all the heat treatments applied, irrespective of their effect on the microstructure, the density was decreased. The decrease in density correlated with the decrease in ultrasonic velocity for all heat treatments. The mechanisms involved in the reduction in the density are discussed.     

Study on bulk aluminum matrix nano-composite fabricated by ultrasonic dispersion of nano-sized SiC particles in molten aluminum alloy

Lightweight metal matrix nano-composites (MMNCs) (metal matrix with nano-sized ceramic particles) can be of significance for automobile, aerospace and numerous other applications. It would be advantageous to produce low-cost as-cast bulk lightweight components of MMNCs. However, it is extremely difficult to disperse nano-sized ceramic particles uniformly in molten metal. This paper presents a new method for an inexpensive fabrication of bulk lightweight MMNCs with reproducible microstructures and superior properties by use of ultrasonic nonlinear effects, namely transient cavitation and acoustic streaming, to achieve uniform dispersion of nano-sized SiC particles in molten aluminum alloy A356. Microstructural study was carried out with an optical microscope, SEM, EDS mapping, and XPS. It validates a good dispersion of nano-sized SiC in metal matrix. It also indicates that partial oxidation of SiC nanopartilces results in the formation of SiO₂ in the matrix. Mechanical properties of the as-cast MMNCs have been improved significantly even with a low weight fraction of nano-sized SiC. The ultrasonic fabrication methodology is promising to produce a wide range of other MMNCs.     

Application of preference selection index method in performance (mechanical properties and sliding wear) based ranking of AA2024-Al2O3/SiC alloy composites

In this research work, alumina/silicon-carbide ceramic particulates are used to reinforce AA2024 with the objective of improvement in its mechanical performance so that it could be successfully applied for sliding wear applications e. g. counter-surface of drum/disc in automobiles. The designed formulation was fabricated via semi-automatic stir casting technique following standard industrial practice. Thereafter, the sample specimens were prepared as per ASTM standard dimensions and the physical/mechanical/sliding wear performance were evaluated and discussed. Taguchi design-of-experiment method was applied for designing of experimental runs and input control parameter optimization. The worn surface morphology studies were analyzed for understanding prevalent wear mechanism using field emission scanning electron microscope along with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Further, multi-criteria-decision-making tool namely, preference selection index method (computationally simple and easy to understand) have been applied in-order-to rank the composites of the formulation. The obtained test results have ∼95 % confidence level. It has been observed that alloy-matrix mechanical properties improve with reinforcement that enhances the sliding wear performance. It has been verified that the composite sample with equal amount of reinforcements shows superior mechanical as well as sliding wear performance and ranked highest by preference selection index method methods. This infers that design engineer may use multi-criteria-decision-making technique like preference selection index in selection of materials reasonably.     

A statistical approach for the assessment of reliability in ceramic materials from ultrasonic velocity measurement: Cumulative Flaw Length Theory

A primary objective of statistical fracture approach is to predict the probability of failure of a component for an arbitrary stress state when the failure statistics are known. This study introduces the fundamentals and application of a new approach to characterize the mechanical behaviour of high temperature ceramic materials, including refractory materials, by coupling non-destructive methods, in particular ultrasonic velocity measurement, and the Batdorf statistical fracture theory. A new approach, termed Cumulative Flaw Length Theory (CFLT), has been developed for the case of macroscopically homogeneous isotropic materials containing randomly oriented microcracks uniformly distributed in a location subjected to non-uniform multiaxial stresses. A function representing the number of cracks per unit volume is estimated based on the histograms of ultrasonic velocity measurements. This function is used without additional assumptions to determine the probability of fracture under an arbitrary stress condition. Two different cordierite-mullite high temperature ceramic materials were characterized under the assumptions of this theory to provide experimental evidence to support the model.