Ultrasonic impedance

Some unexpectedly complex liquid solid interactions have been detected and studied by ultrasonic impedance measurements (ultrasonic impedometry). Small amounts of water and alcohols have pronounced effects on the physical state of hydrophilic polymers specifically, the high frequency shear modulus and crystallinity index of a poly (vinyl alcohol) film increases with water content to a maximum before normal solution phenomena occur. These effects are attributed to the increased molecular order owing to water hydrogen bonded between polymer chains. The unusual effects of moisture on a novel poly(vinyl chloride)/plasticizer system and on hydrophilic polymers other than poly (vinyl alcohol) are also described. 

A resonance in the layered stracture occurs when echoes between two boundaries travel back and forth due to differences in acoustic impedances at the boundaries. For multi-layer structures a number of resonances can be observed depending on their geometry and condition. For each particular defect-free structure and given transducer we obtain a characteristic resonance pattern, an ultrasonic signature, which can be used as a reference. 

There have been numerous efforts to inspect specimens by ultrasonic reflectivity (or pulse-echo) measurements. In these inspections ultrasonic reflectivity is often used to observe changes in the acoustical impedance, and from this observation to localize defects in the specimen. However, the term defect is related to any discontinuity within the specimen and, consequently, more information is needed than only ultrasonic reflectivity to define the discontinuity as a defect. This information may be provided by three-dimensional ultrasonic reflection tomography and a priori knowledge about the specimen (e.g., the specimen fabrication process, its design, the intended purpose and the material). A more comprehensive review of defect characterization and related nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods is provided elsewhere [1]. 

Here, Zi, Z2 and Zz are acoustic impedance of each materials as shown in Table 3. The order of Zi, Z2 and Z3 becomes Zi Z3 for the material on ultrasonic wave s incidence side. 

Flere, Zi and Zi are the acoustic impedances of the material on a ultrasonic wave incidence side and confrontaion with the incidence side. 

C. Kleesattel, "The Ultrasonic Contact Impedance Testing Method," The ECHO, Vol. 27, Krautkramer GmbH. 

Liquid Level. The most widely used devices for measuring Hquid levels involve detecting the buoyant force on an object or the pressure differential created by the height of Hquid between two taps on the vessel. Consequently, care is required in locating the tap. Other less widely used techniques utilize concepts such as the attenuation of radiation changes in electrical properties, eg, capacitance and impedance and ultrasonic wave attenuation. 

Polypyrrole readily forms acceptable films under a wide variety of conditions [86] though there are subtle distinctions in behaviour as a result of exact preparation procedure [87]. Ultrasound at 20 kHz at sufficient intensity impedes polypyrrole formation and removes the polymer coating from the electrode [88]. At higher ultrasonic frequencies (e.g. 800 kHz) a free-standing film is produced which can be peeled from the electrode. This film has the interesting feature that the imprint of the wave-... 

The impedance is practically important because it determines the proportion of an ultrasonic wave which is reflected from a boundary between materials. When a plane ultrasonic wave is incident on a plane interface between two materials of different acoustic impedance it is partly reflected and partly transmitted (Figure 3). The ratios of the amplitudes of the transmitted (At) and reflected (Ar) waves to that of the incident wave (Aj) are called the transmission (T) and reflection coefficients (R), respectively. 

The greater the difference in acoustic impedance between the two materials the greater the fraction of ultrasound reflected. This has important consequences for the design and interpretation of ultrasonic experiments. For example, to optimize the transmission of ultrasound from one material to another it is necessary to chose two materials with similar acoustic impedance. To optimize the reflection coefficient materials with very different acoustic impedance should be used. The acoustic impedance of a material is often determined by measuring the fraction of ultrasound reflected from its surface. 

Solids usually have larger ultrasonic velocities and acoustic impedance, than liquids, which have larger values than gasses. Air has a very low acoustic impedance compared to liquids or solids which means that it is difficult to transmit ultrasound from air into a condensed material. This can be a problem when ultrasound is used to test dry materials, e.g., biscuits or egg shells. A small gap of air between an ultrasonic transducer and the sample to be tested can prevent ultrasound from being transmitted into the material. For this reason coupling materials (often aqueous or oil based) can be placed between the transducer and sample to eliminate the effects of the air gap, or alternatively soft-tip ultrasonic transducers can be used. 

An ultrasonic experiment consists of two stages measurement of the ultrasonic properties of the material, e.g., velocity, attenuation or impedance interpretation of these measurements to provide information about the relevant properties of the material. These may either be fundamental physico-chemical properties (such as composition, microstructure or molecular interactions) or functional properties (such as stability, rheology or appearance). 

Measurement cell. The measurement cell should be made of a material which does not react with the sample. The cell walls should be of an appropriate thickness and acoustic impedance so that any reverberations in the cell walls do not interfere with the signal from the sample. The internal walls of the cell should be smooth and parallel so that scattering or oblique reflection of the ultrasonic wave do not cause errors in the velocity and attenuation measurements. Ultrasonic measurements are particularly sensitive to temperature and so it is important to either use a thermostated measurement cell, or to measure the temperature and make a suitable correction. 

Application of a high ionic strength media on the skin after ultrasonic treatment was also found to be effective in extracting glucose.9 In the SonoPrep device, the electrical impedance of the skin is continuously monitored, so application of the ultrasound can continue until a fixed permeability is achieved (see Figure 7.6). Generally, about 10 s is required to reduce the impedance below 10 k 2. The ultrasonic... 

Figure 7.6 Clinical prototype for treatment with low-frequency ultrasound. 12 W of 55 kHz ultrasound is applied to a skin area of 0.8 cm 2 until the impedance is below 10 KX2. The hand grip serves as the return electrode for the impedance measurement. The coupling media and ultrasonic horn are within the handpiece housing. Reprinted with permission from Ref. 9. Copyright 2004 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers.

For efficient transfer of power from the generator to the medium, usually water, the two must be acoustically matched. The discontinuity can be smoothed by fixing a 2/4 thick layer of material having an acoustic impedance intermediate between that of the radiating surface material and water, and polymers having impedances of about 3.5 Mrayl are readily available. The velocity of sound in them is approximately 2500 ms-1 so that the thickness required at 50 kHz is about 12 mm. In practice the transducer is often bonded to an ultrasonic cleaning tank and then the tank and water become a complicating part of the transducer. 

With a test sample on the optically flat top surface of the bar, the pulse echo train is reduced in amplitude. This attenuation is owing to the refraction of part of the ultrasonic wave into the test sample at the frequency used. The ratio of successive peak amplitudes may be measured on the oscilloscope and expressed in decibels loss per echo. From this, the loss per echo with no sample on the bar can be substracted to give a value Adb which is related to the mechanical shear impedance of the sample. Rapid changes can be conveniently monitored by a recorder which follows the peak signal of a selected echo. 

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