Table of Contents

Introduction
Historical perspective of the use of ultrasound .........................................................2

Comparison between the commonly used NDT methods .....................................4

Fundamental Properties of Ultrasound

Definition of ultrasonic vibrations ..................................................................................10
Relationship of velocity, frenquency and wavelenght ..........................................12
Diffraction Theory ..................................................................................................................13
Mode of particle vibration ..................................................................................................15
Ultrasonic uses ..........................................................................................................................18

Generation of Ultrasonic Waves

Piezoelectric crystal types and characteristics ..........................................................21
Search unit construction .....................................................................................................25

Search unit characteristics: resolution sensitivity ..................................................35

Search unit types ....................................................................................................................37
Contact transducers ....................................................................................................................37
Immersion transducers ...............................................................................................................38
Twin crystal transducers ............................................................................................................39
Delay line transducers .................................................................................................................40
Angle beam transducers .............................................................................................................41
Normal incidence shear wave transducers ................................................................................42
Paint brush transducers...............................................................................................................42

Test material characterestics

Velocity .......................................................................................................................................43

Sound attenuation .................................................................................................................46

Acoustic impedance ................................................................................................................48

Sound beam characterestics
Intensity variations .................................................................................................................50
Dead zone, near zone, far zone .........................................................................................50