The influence of ferrite volume fraction on Rayleigh wave propagation in A572 grade 50 steel

The acoustoelastic effect is the interaction between ultrasonic wave velocity and stress. To estimate the stress a perturbation signal is introduced and the shift in time of flight is measured at the receiving location. In addition to the stress, the wave velocity can be affected by the volume fraction of the phases in the material’s microstructure. This study investigates the changes in Rayleigh wave velocity as a function of stress and microstructure obtained in A572 grade 50 steel following heat treatments. The steel was heat treated to homogenize the microstructure of as-received steel that showed banding; the samples are heat treated at 970 °C for 0.5, 1, and 4 hours, furnace cooled and metallographically characterized. The acoustoelastic coefficient for 1 MHz perturbation frequency is calculated by uniaxial loading of each heat treated plate while measuring ultrasonic wave velocity. The results are discussed in relation to the reduction of banding obtained from optical microscopy.The acoustoelastic effect is the interaction between ultrasonic wave velocity and stress. To estimate the stress a perturbation signal is introduced and the shift in time of flight is measured at the receiving location. In addition to the stress, the wave velocity can be affected by the volume fraction of the phases in the material’s microstructure. This study investigates the changes in Rayleigh wave velocity as a function of stress and microstructure obtained in A572 grade 50 steel following heat treatments. The steel was heat treated to homogenize the microstructure of as-received steel that showed banding; the samples are heat treated at 970 °C for 0.5, 1, and 4 hours, furnace cooled and metallographically characterized. The acoustoelastic coefficient for 1 MHz perturbation frequency is calculated by uniaxial loading of each heat treated plate while measuring ultrasonic wave velocity. The results are discussed in relation to the reduction of banding obtained from optical microscopy.