Papers by Author: Josef Sikula

Abstract: Each material contains defects and in-homogeneities in a structure volume. It has influence on the properties of material (conductivity, mass density, mechanical properties). Interaction of the ultrasonic waves with defects or in-homogeneities in the solid state is not clear. Electro-ultrasonic spectroscopy can help to clarify this phenomenon. The electro-ultrasonic spectroscopy describes defects and un-homogeneities inside the sample structure. This method is quite different from electro-acoustic effect. Ultrasonic signal is in range from 20 kHz to 150 kHz. Ultrasonic signal changes geometry of the sample in elastic range only. The sizes of cracks are changing also in the sample volume. Conductivity near the area of cracks is strongly changing due to ultrasonic vibrations. It has influence on resistance of the sample which is changing along with a frequency of ultrasonic vibrations. The amplitude of the resistance change depends on the material, number of cracks, size of cracks and Eigen frequencies of the sample excited by ultrasonic wave. We applied the electro-ultrasonic spectroscopy on two types of varistors. It can be useful for understanding the relation between microstructure and mechanical properties of these types of varistors.

Abstract: New non-destructive testing (NDT) method is based on the effect of the ultrasonic vibrations on the electron transport in samples with macroscopic defects as cracks or defect centers affecting electrical conductivity. On the frequency given by the subtraction of exciting frequencies new intermodulation signal appears. Its value is given by electric resistance modulation by the defects and un-homogeneities in the sample structure. In our experiment we used the ultrasonic actuator with frequency fU when the period of wave is longer than the dielectric relaxation time in analyzed sample. In this case the effects of electron bunching by ultrasonic wave are negligible. The ultrasonic wave length is much larger than the electrons mean free path and the wave period is much longer than the mean free time among the electrons collision with scattering centers and defects. Then the electron transport is described by the quasi-steady state transport equation in one-electron approximation. Because of the requirement of charge neutrality, no net AC electric current with the ultrasonic wave frequency fU can be carried by the wave. Similar situation exists for samples excited by standing ultrasonic waves. The electrical conductivity varies with time due to that the cracks geometry is changed with frequency of the ultrasonic vibration. The sample conductivity is affected mainly by the presence of cracks and defects boundaries perpendicular to the electric current density vector. In our experiment the amplitude of ultrasonic vibration is so low that no new cracks are generated and then the proposed testing method belongs to NDT.

Abstract: The Kaiser Effect in acoustic emission is often used for an estimation of the stress to which rocks have been subjected. However, there are cases in which the Kaiser Effect is not clear, since the noises due to the contact and/or the stick slip between the pre-induced fracture surfaces are measured during the reloading process. In such cases, estimation of previous stress is difficult by the conventional method which is based on the acoustic emission activity observed under reloading process. In the tests for the Kaiser Effect on rocks, therefore, the noises must be eliminated from the acoustic emission generated from newly created cracks during the second loading process. Such techniques as analysis of the difference between the acoustic emission activity observed in the first and second reloading and the analysis of the change in the slope of the acoustic emission amplitude distribution have been proposed. In this paper we present a new method by which the maximum previous stress in rocks can be directly estimated without any post signal analysis. In the new method, simultaneous measurement of acoustic and electromagnetic emission during loading test of rock sample is employed. The electromagnetic emission in the deformation of rock sample generates only when the fresh surfaces due to cracking are created in the material, and the source of electromagnetic emission is the electrification between the fresh crack surfaces. This paper describes the simultaneous measurement of acoustic and electromagnetic emission useful for estimating the rock in-situ stress.

Abstract: A new measuring method for the detection of fine spectra of electromagnetic and acoustic emission (EME and AE) signals from small cracks is described. It requires wide band ultra-low noise amplifiers, analogue filters, the optimization of signal to noise ratio of sensors and the application of noise elimination methods. Analyses of noise sources in sensors and preamplifiers are given. They are thermal noise, polarization noise and low frequency 1/f noise. Measuring set-up background noise suppression involving also the electromagnetic shielding allows us to detect signals in the range of 1 to 100 nV. This measuring set-up was used to observe crack initiation in granite samples. AE and EME signals show different behaviour in the first interval of about 20 μs just after crack initiation. For the first stage of crack initiation the frequency spectrum of EME signal is given by the eigen vibrations of crack walls, by the internal friction and the sample electrical conductivity. We observed that the crack opening and crack wall vibration create the high frequency signal in the frequency band up to 10 MHz. These signals were observed in the first time interval of about 20 μs. After that the frequency spectrum is given by the sample eigen vibration or the sample boundary conditions, and we have observed the spectra in the frequency range 100 kHz to 2 MHz.