Measurement of Ferrite Grain Size by Ultrasonic Method in Low Carbon Steel

초음파법에 의한 저탄소강의 페라이트 결정립 크기 측정

Grain size of steels is one of the most important parameters which influence yield strength and fracture toughness. Ultrasonic wave propagating in polycrystalline materials is mostly attenuated by scattering at grain boundary. Effect of ultrasonic attenuation on average ferrite grain size of carbon steels with tensile strength $40{\sim}60kgf/mm^2$ consisting of multi phases such as ferrite + pearlite and ferrite + pearlite + bainite was evaluated. The attenuation of these steels rapidly increased with average ferrite grain diameter. Average ferrite grain diameter ($D_{av}$, ${\mu}m$) could be expressed as $1.79+22.97*a^{1/2.03}$, where a is attenuation with unit of nepers/cm. From this study, it was confirmed that nondestructive ultrasonic method could be used in measuring average ferrite grain size indirectly.