Using acoustic waves to measure the single crystal elasticity of aerospace alloys

Develop the next generation of a laser ultrasound instrument to simultaneously measure the single-crystal elasticity matrix, the microstructure and the crystallographic orientation of high value aerospace alloys.
Most metals are made up of many small crystals and the size, shape, orientation, and distribution of the crystals that make up the microstructure has a significant impact on the material's performance. Underlying all of this are the elastic properties of the single crystals themselves and, remarkably, these are often not known because measuring them is incredibly challenging and expensive because individual single crystals must first be prepared to exacting specifications before measurements can be made.