The goal of the study is to reveal the impact of change in the structural state of steel 07Kh3GNMYuA after heat treatment on the values of the critical stress intensity coefficient (K1c) obtained at a temperature of 50°C and on the velocity of ultrasound wave propagation, as well as to determine a correlation between them for rapid assessment of the crack resistance using acoustic characteristics. The mechanical characteristics of the material and the critical stress intensity coefficient K1c were obtained on the test machine «Inspekt 100 Table». The tangent method is used for determination of K1c. Three samples per K1c value were used in the experiment for a three-point bending scheme at the operating temperature T = –50°C. Acoustic parameters were measured using the echo-pulse method. The results of ultrasonic scanning of heat-strengthened samples made of steel 07Kh3GNMYuA demonstrated the possibility of non-destructive quantitative evaluation of the critical stress intensity coefficient. New data on the mechanical properties of steel 07Kh3GNMYuA and on the correlation between the velocity of longitudinal elastic waves and the values of the critical stress intensity coefficient of structures were obtained. Deviation of the calculated values of K1c obtained using acoustic measurements from the experimental values does not exceed 10%. The proposed model, which explains change in the acoustic characteristics of steel 07Kh3GNMYuA on the basis of phase changes occurring in the steel structure upon tempering, provides conducting of similar studies for other modes of heat treatment and other steel grades. The method is a low labor- and time-consuming procedure for determination of the mechanical characteristics of the products made of steel 07Kh3GNMYuA, since it does not require the manufacturing of samples and their testing. The developed procedure can be proposed for manufacturing application, as the main or additional method for evaluation of the mechanical parameters of materials after various modes of heat treatment.
