Variation of the ultrasonic velocity in al under plastic deformation

Variation of the velocity of ultrasound propagation in polycrystalline aluminum under plastic deformation is studied. The dependences of the velocity of ultrasound on the strain and the actual stress are found to consist of three distinct stages. The study of the complex shapes of these dependences allows one to reveal additional stages in the parabolic stress-strain curve of the plastic flow, these features being impossible to observe by conventional methods. The behavior of the ultrasonic velocity observed in the experiment is explained by the changes in the defect structure of the material under deformation.