Volumetric Ultrasonic Testing of Microtextured Regions in Titanium Alloy Billets
Tracks
NDT Methods
| Thursday, October 24, 2024 |
| 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM |
| 207/208 - Technical Session |
Details
Microtextured regions (MTRs), also known as macrozones, are a material condition inherent to multiple aerospace-grade Titanium alloys, such as Ti-64 and Ti-6242. In the last two decades, there have been multiple failures attributed to MTRs, including a 2017 in-flight fan disk separation on Air France 066. The post-incident report, published by the BEA in 2020¹, cited a lack of reliable MTR inspection methods as a contributing factor.
It is desirable to inspect Titanium at the billet stage before raw material is sent for forging. At present, the industry-standard characterization method for MTRs remains destructive, via electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) or Polarized Light Microscopy. As MTRs do not behave like a crack, void, or inclusion, billet ultrasonic inspection has historically been incapable of detecting MTRs. Several nondestructive techniques, such as Surface-Wave Ultrasound, Spatially-Resolved Acoustic Spectroscopy, and Eddy Current, have shown sensitivity to MTRs. However, these techniques are limited to surface or near-surface inspection only, leading to the need for a volumetric inspection technique.
This work will present several ultrasonic testing techniques for volumetric inspection of MTRs in titanium alloy billets, including discussion on sound beam characteristics and signal analysis. Results will be compared with EBSD and Surface-Wave Ultrasound.
It is desirable to inspect Titanium at the billet stage before raw material is sent for forging. At present, the industry-standard characterization method for MTRs remains destructive, via electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) or Polarized Light Microscopy. As MTRs do not behave like a crack, void, or inclusion, billet ultrasonic inspection has historically been incapable of detecting MTRs. Several nondestructive techniques, such as Surface-Wave Ultrasound, Spatially-Resolved Acoustic Spectroscopy, and Eddy Current, have shown sensitivity to MTRs. However, these techniques are limited to surface or near-surface inspection only, leading to the need for a volumetric inspection technique.
This work will present several ultrasonic testing techniques for volumetric inspection of MTRs in titanium alloy billets, including discussion on sound beam characteristics and signal analysis. Results will be compared with EBSD and Surface-Wave Ultrasound.
Speaker
Nicholas Van Zandt
Lead Engineer
GE Aerospace
Volumetric Ultrasonic Testing of Microtextured Regions in Titanium Alloy Billets
Presentation Description
Microtextured regions (MTRs), also known as macrozones, are a material condition inherent to multiple aerospace-grade Titanium alloys, such as Ti-64 and Ti-6242. In the last two decades, there have been multiple failures attributed to MTRs, including a 2017 in-flight fan disk separation on Air France 066. The post-incident report, published by the BEA in 2020¹, cited a lack of reliable MTR inspection methods as a contributing factor.
It is desirable to inspect Titanium at the billet stage before raw material is sent for forging. At present, the industry-standard characterization method for MTRs remains destructive, via electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) or Polarized Light Microscopy. As MTRs do not behave like a crack, void, or inclusion, billet ultrasonic inspection has historically been incapable of detecting MTRs. Several nondestructive techniques, such as Surface-Wave Ultrasound, Spatially-Resolved Acoustic Spectroscopy, and Eddy Current, have shown sensitivity to MTRs. However, these techniques are limited to surface or near-surface inspection only, leading to the need for a volumetric inspection technique.
This work will present several ultrasonic testing techniques for volumetric inspection of MTRs in titanium alloy billets, including discussion on sound beam characteristics and signal analysis. Results will be compared with EBSD and Surface-Wave Ultrasound.
1) https://bea.aero/uploads/tx_elydbrapports/BEA2017-0568.en.pdf
It is desirable to inspect Titanium at the billet stage before raw material is sent for forging. At present, the industry-standard characterization method for MTRs remains destructive, via electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) or Polarized Light Microscopy. As MTRs do not behave like a crack, void, or inclusion, billet ultrasonic inspection has historically been incapable of detecting MTRs. Several nondestructive techniques, such as Surface-Wave Ultrasound, Spatially-Resolved Acoustic Spectroscopy, and Eddy Current, have shown sensitivity to MTRs. However, these techniques are limited to surface or near-surface inspection only, leading to the need for a volumetric inspection technique.
This work will present several ultrasonic testing techniques for volumetric inspection of MTRs in titanium alloy billets, including discussion on sound beam characteristics and signal analysis. Results will be compared with EBSD and Surface-Wave Ultrasound.
1) https://bea.aero/uploads/tx_elydbrapports/BEA2017-0568.en.pdf
Biography
Nick Van Zandt is an engineer at GE Aerospace Inspection Solutions. He received his Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Wright State University in 2021. His background is based in Eddy Current and Ultrasonic inspection, and his areas of interest include numerical simulation, predictive modelling, and data processing. His current work focuses upon developing inspection approaches and technology for metallic, ceramic composite, and polymer composite components.
