Fabrication and frequency response of a complex ultrasonic transducer for multilayer evaluation

Abstract

To characterize the thickness of a corrosive fluid system's coated facilities, such as pipes, tubes, tanks, and structural members, a complex ultrasonic transducer capable of measuring multilayered parts was fabricated and the time and frequency responses were evaluated. The target transducer was constructed with two active dual elements made from tape-cast PbNb2O6 sheets and an additional thin-film active element made from sol-gel spin-coated Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 films. After adjusting the properties of each active element, a complex transducer was assembled after matching the impedance of each element and considering the minimal interference between the active layers. The impulse response of the assembled complex transducer shows excellent characteristics. Moreover, the assembled transducer's capability of accurately measuring the thickness assures that it can be directly applied to related industries. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.