Enhanced ultrasonic detection of fatigue cracks by laser-induced crack closure

Fatigue cracks are usually initiated by small geometrical irregularities or material inhomogeneities that give rise to sharp local stress concentrations. In the early stages of fatigue, small cracks often remain hidden from conventional ultrasonic detection by stronger scattering from the very same structural imperfection that produced them in the first place. A new experimental method was developed to selectively increase the sensitivity of ultrasonic echographic techniques for such hidden fatigue cracks by exploiting one of their most characteristic features, their susceptibility for closure under compressive stress. Thermo-optical modulation by pulsed infrared laser irradiation was introduced to produce a temporary compressive thermal stress on the surface of the specimen. The resulting dynamic closure of microcracks was detected by a high-frequency ultrasonic surface wave technique. It is demonstrated that this method can be used to effectively distinguish fatigue cracks from other structural imperfections present in the material. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.