Acoustic Emission Technique, an Overview as a Characterization Tool in Materials Science

Abstract

In order to predict the mechanical behavior of a composite during its service life, it is important to evaluate itsmechanical response under different types of external stresses by studying the initiation and development of cracksand the effects induced by damage and degradation. The onset of damage is related to the structural integrity of thecomponent and its fatigue life. For this, among other reasons, non-destructive techniques such as acoustic emission(AE) have been widely used nowadays for composite materials characterization. This method has demonstratedexcellent results on detecting and identifying initiations sites, cracking propagation and fracture mechanisms ofpolymer matrix composite and ceramic materials. This paper focuses on commenting the importance of the acousticemission technique as a unique tool for characterizing mechanical parameters in response to external stresses anddegradation processes by reviewing previous investigations carried out by the author as participant. Acoustic emissionwas employed to monitor the micro-failure mechanisms in composites in relation to the stress level in real-time duringthe tests carried out. Some results obtained from different analysis are discussed to support the significance of usingAE, technique that will be increasingly employed in the composite materials field due to its several alternatives forunderstanding the mechanical behavior; therefore, the objective of this manuscript is to involve the benefits andadvantages of AE in the characterization of materials.

Electro-Mechanical Characterisation and Damage Monitoring by Acoustic Emission of 3D-Printed CB/PLA

“…The simultaneous use of acoustic emission and electrical measurements was reported in the literature on bonding joints for structural health monitoring [ 29 ]. Acoustic emission is a common technology used to assess the damage evolution within polymer matrix composites [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. In additive manufacturing, this technique has also been applied to 3D-printed polymer composites filled with continuous fibres [ 36 , 37 , 38 ] or short flax fibres [ 39 ] as well as 3D-printed sandwich structures [ 40 ].…”

Analyzing the Sound of Materials: Application of Acoustic Emission Technique for Monitoring Material Behavior

“…1B). In this case, a general frequency between 50 kHz -1 MHz is used since lower frequencies are related to external noise [2]. Both UPT and AET, are not opposite techniques but all the contrary, one can be applied in a material evaluation to support the mechanical analysis of the other.…”

Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Fatigue Crack Growth in Hadfield Steel

“…Moreover, the absolute values of AE parameters are subjected to the influence of external factors including materials and geometric effects, data acquisition settings, etc. [ 22 , 23 ]. Consequently, it is not adequate to evaluate the condition of structures in service solely based on an analysis of AE parameter trends.…”