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Theory and application of laser ultrasonic shear wave birefringence measurements to the determination of microstructure orientation in transversely isotropic, polycrystalline graphite materials

Journal Article · · Carbon
Laser ultrasonic line source methods have been used to study elastic anisotropy in nuclear graphites by measuring shear wave birefringence. Depending on the manufacturing processes used during production, nuclear graphites can exhibit various degrees of material anisotropy related to preferred crystallite orientation and to microcracking. In this paper, laser ultrasonic line source measurements of shear wave birefringence on NBG-25 have been performed to assess elastic anisotropy. Laser line sources allow specific polarizations for shear waves to be transmitted – the corresponding wavespeeds can be used to compute bulk, elastic moduli that serve to quantify anisotropy. These modulus values can be interpreted using physical property models based on orientation distribution coefficients and microcrack-modified, single crystal moduli to represent the combined effects of crystallite orientation and microcracking on material anisotropy. Finally, ultrasonic results are compared to and contrasted with measurements of anisotropy based on the coefficient of thermal expansion to show the relationship of results from these techniques.
Research Organization:
Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Reactor Technologies (NE-7). Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1394406
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1488970
Journal Information:
Carbon, Journal Name: Carbon Vol. 115; ISSN 0008-6223
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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