Non-destructive characterisation of alumina/aluminium titanate composites using a micromechanical model and ultrasonic determinations: Part I. Evaluation of the effective elastic constants of aluminium titanate

A method to evaluate the elastic constants of aluminium titanate in alumina/aluminium titanate composites is described. Results are derived from a three-phase micromechanical model proposed to relate the velocity of propagation of ultrasounds in the materials with their microstructural characteristics and the elastic behaviour of the constituents. Dense and un-cracked alumina and alumina + 10 vol.% aluminium titanate specimens have been fabricated by colloidal processing and the longitudinal and transverse ultrasound velocities have been determined by the ultrasonic jointly pulse-echo and transmission ultrasound-immersion techniques, employing a digital signal processing. In order to assure the adequacy of the proposed method, results for monophase alumina have been compared to those obtained from the resonance frequencies of high density alumina plates tested in flexure and shear. The values of elastic moduli obtained using the two methods were coincident, which assured the validity of the non-destructive proposed method.