Evaluation of beryllium stiffening on zirconium plate using backscattered leaky Lamb waves.

The ultrasonic backscattering profiles of the Zr plates with/without Be-Zr alloy layer were measured at various incidence positions to evaluate the embedded Be diffusion layer on the Zr plate. Four principal subprofiles of backward ultrasound radiated from leaky Lamb waves were observed. The angles and the intensities of the subprofile peaks decreased due to the stiffening effect of Be layer. The generation and change of subprofiles can be explained by the influence of acoustical properties, collective group velocities and leaky factors of plates. It is suggested that the backward radiation subprofile is an effective tool for the evaluation of thin diffusion layers on plates.

Evaluation of CVD diamond coating layer using leaky Rayleigh wave.

In the present study, the possibility of using leaky Rayleigh waves as a nondestructive tool for the evaluation of CVD diamond coating layer is explored experimentally. For this purpose, a set of CVD diamond coated specimens are prepared and the leaky Rayleigh waves are measured in an immersion, pulse-echo setup. For the proper analysis of the acquired signals we propose a novel signal analysis approach, namely the "time trace angular scan (TTAS)" image. Then, the proposed approach together with the backward radiation profiles are applied for the analysis of signals acquired in the initial experiments. The TTAS image shows the entire information on both time-of-arrival and angle of incidence of the signals for the proper "time-angle windowing." Then, the backward radiation profile of the windowed signals provides adequate parameters from which nondestructive evaluation of the coated specimens is carried out.

Characterization of TiN coating layers using ultrasonic backward radiation.

Since ceramic layers coated on machinery components inevitably experience the changes in their properties it is necessary to evaluate the characteristics of ceramic coating layers nondestructively for the reliable use of coated components and the remaining life prediction. To address such a need, in the present study, the ultrasonic backward radiation technique is applied to examine the very thin TiN ceramic layers coated on AISI 1045 steel or austenitic 304 steel substrate. Specifically, the ultrasonic backward radiation profiles have been measured with variations in specimen preparation conditions such as coating layer thickness and sliding loading. In the experiments performed in the current study, the peak angle and the peak amplitude of ultrasonic backward radiation profile varied sensitively according to two specimen preparation conditions. In fact, this result demonstrates a high possibility of the ultrasonic backward radiation as an effective tool for the nondestructive characterization of the TiN ceramic coating layers even in such a thin regime.