Ultrasonic Testing

Day 3
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The Phenomenon of Sound

REFLECTION
REFRACTION
DIFFRACTION

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The Phenomenon of Sound

REFLECTION
REFRACTION
DIFFRACTION

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Sound at an Interface
Sound will be either transmitted across
or reflected back
Reflected

Interface

Transmitted

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How much is reflected and

transmitted depends upon the
relative acoustic impedance of
the 2 materials

Law of Reflection
Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection

60o

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60o

Inclined incidence(not at 90o )

Incident

Transmitted
The sound is refracted due to differences in
sound velocity in the 2 DIFFERENT materials
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REFRACTION

Only occurs when:

The incident angle is other than 0

30
Water

Steel

Water

Steel

Steel

Steel
Refracted

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REFRACTION
Only occurs when:
The incident angle is other than 0
The Two Materials has different
VELOCITIES
30

30

Steel

Water

Steel

Steel
65
30

No Refraction
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Refracted

Snells Law
Normal

Incident

Material 2

Material 1

Refracted

Sine I
Vel in Material 1

Sine R Vel in Material 2

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Snells Law
C

Sine I Vel in Material 1

Sine R Vel in Material 2

20

Perspex

Sine 20
2730

Sine 48.3 5960

Steel

0.4580 0.4580

48.3
C

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Snells Law
C

Sine I Vel in Material 1

Sine R Vel in Material 2

15

Sine 15 2730

Sine R 5960

Perspex
Steel
34.4
C

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5960
SinR Sin15
2730

SinR 0.565
R 34.4

Snells Law
C

20

Perspex
Steel
48.3
24

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C
S

Snells Law
C

When an incident beam of sound

approaches an interface of two
different materials:
REFRACTION occurs

Perspex
Steel

There may be more than one waveform

transmitted into the second material,
example: Compression and Shear

C
C

SS
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When a waveform changes

into another waveform:
MODE CHANGE

Snells Law
If the angle of Incident is
increased the angle of
refraction also increases

Perspex

Up to a point where the

Compression Wave is at
90 from the Normal

Steel

This happens at the

90

FIRST CRITICAL ANGLE

CS

S
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SC

1st Critical Angle

C 27.4

Compression wave refracted

at 90 degrees

33
S
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2nd Critical Angle

C

57

S (Surface Wave)
90

Shear wave refracted at 90 degrees

Shear wave becomes a surface wave
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1st Critical Angle Calculation

C 27.2

Sine I
2730

Sine 90 5960
Perspex
C

Steel

Sin90 1
2730
SinI
5960

SinI 0.458
I 27.26

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2nd Critical Angle Calculation

C

Sine I
2730

Sine 90 3240

C
57.4
Perspex

Steel

Sin90 1
2730
SinI
3240

SinI 0.8425
I 57.4
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1st.
C

2nd.

Before the 1st. Critical Angle: There

are both Compression and Shear
wave in the second material
At the FIRST CRITICAL ANGLE
Compression wave refracted at 90
Shear wave at 33 degrees in the
material

90
Beyond the 2nd. Critical
Angle: All waves are
reflected out of the
material. NO wave in
the material.

S C

33

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Between the 1st. And 2nd.

Critical Angle: Only SHEAR
wave in the material.
Compression is reflected out
of the material.

At the 2nd. Critical Angle: Shear

is refracted to 90 and become
SURFACE wave

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Summary
Standard angle probes between 1st and
2nd critical angles (45,60,70)
Stated angle is refracted angle in steel
No angle probe under 35, and more
than 80: to avoid being 2 waves in the
One Defect Two Echoes
same material.
C
C
S
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Snells Law example

Calculate the 1st critical angle for a
perspex/copper interface
V Comp perspex : 2730m/sec
V Comp copper : 4700m/sec

2730
SinI
0.5808 35.5
4700

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