Assessing the Hardness of Quenched Medium Steel Using an Ultrasonic Nondestructive Method

Abstract

Developing new materials or improving their heat treatment techniques is key to industrial upgrades for increasing fastener product quality. Nowadays, high tensile strength bolts are heat-treated to achieve desired mechanical properties such as hardness, strength, toughness, and resistance to fatigue and wear. Ultrasound detection is one widely used nondestructive inspection technique. Based on the characteristics of wave transmission, the refraction, diffraction, and scattering of ultrasound wave velocity and attenuation in a material are governed by its grain boundary characteristics. In this study, C1045 middle carbon steel was heat-treated at various temperatures and then water-quenched, and the relationships among grain size, ultrasonic velocity, attenuation, and material hardness were then determined using two ultrasound sources. Our experimental results show that a smaller average grain size as well as higher hardness can be obtained from higher quenching temperatures. Faster acoustic velocities and slower attenuation coefficients are caused by higher material hardness. A scattering effect is more obvious for higher transducer frequencies. Our results demonstrate another nondestructive test that can assess the quenching process in the fastener industry.

The Influence of the Hardness of the Tested Material and the Surface Preparation Method on the Results of Ultrasonic Testing

“…Researchers have investigated the effect of hardness on ultrasonic wave velocity [21]. The authors demonstrated that the transmission, refraction, diffraction, and scattering characteristics of ultrasonic waves in the material depend on grain boundary features.…”

Study of the Kinetics of Adhesive Bond Formation Using the Ultrasonic Method

“…The ultrasonic testing of adhesive joints has covered many areas, including the properties of the joints themselves and the materials being joined [6][7][8]. The effects of surface roughness for bonding and hardness on ultrasonic measurements have also been studied [9,10]. A literature analysis showed that the attenuation of an ultrasonic wave, estimated by the decrease in the gain of successive reflection pulses of this wave, imaged on the screen of an industrial or laboratory defectoscope, is sensitive to the surface roughness at high frequencies of ultrasonic transducers.…”

Investigation of tungsten heavy alloys using powder metallurgy technique

“…The first class, according to matrix base such as composites of metallic matrices MMCs, composites of ceramics matrices CMC, and composites of polymers matrices PMC. MMCs are a mixture of metals matrices such as Aluminum (Al), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co) and Copper (Cu) supported by ceramics reinforcements (Pb, W, and Mo) [4]. However, metallic matrix composites are mixture of a ceramic's matrices and included segments of graphite and aramid fibers KEVLAR as dispersed phases [4].…”

“…MMCs are a mixture of metals matrices such as Aluminum (Al), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co) and Copper (Cu) supported by ceramics reinforcements (Pb, W, and Mo) [4]. However, metallic matrix composites are mixture of a ceramic's matrices and included segments of graphite and aramid fibers KEVLAR as dispersed phases [4]. However, polymers matrices PMCs are obtained from thermosetting or thermoplastic materials and put it in glass, carbon, steel, or Kevlar fibers as reinforced medium [5].…”