Mistras Group
New Elastomeric Wedge Design Improves Phased Array Sectorial Scanning of HDPE Butt-Fusion Joints
Posted:
By: Colin Durkin
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6666683835389935616
In a small footprint that easily adapts to your scanning system…

Innovation Polymers in partnership with the Materials Research Institute has developed an innovative phased array wedge design that incorporates a damping material with a low velocity refracting wedge for pulse-echo testing. Until a suitable damping material and processing technique was developed, the advantage of forward refraction from Aqualink™ (a low acoustic velocity and low attenuation elastomer which Innovation Polymers currently supplies for other customized NDT applications) could not be fully optimized.

"With Aqualink™ we have a great advantage because we can use the upper most refracted angles at around 85° - 89°. Being able to steer to such high angles allows us to detect flaws near the top of the weld." Says Ed Ginzel, at Materials Research Institute. "In steel, we would have to rely on a reflection from the opposite surface to have the beam bounce up to the top again. But with HDPE being so attenuative, this would result in very weak signals."

The new design overcomes issues commonly associated with existing options in the marketplace, which include:
• Negative refraction when using hard plastics such as Rexolite causing a weak signal or signal distortion.
• Large footprints limiting close approach when using water membranes.
• Easy adaptability to existing scanning systems.

Using this design technique, Innovation Polymers has been able to produce wedges that integrate with a number of widely used phased-array probes within the ultrasonic nondestructive testing industry.

The new Innovation Polymers phased array wedge will be available for sale starting June 8, 2020. For more information on these and other moulded polymer dry coupling solutions, contact Innovation Polymers at +1 226 749 3035 or email Rick MacNeil at rmacneil@innovationpolymers.ca

About Innovation Polymers: Innovation Polymers develops and supplies the Nondestructive Testing industry with elastomeric polymers which provide highly effective sound transfer for ultrasonic testing. ACE™, Aqualene™, and Aqualink™ enable acoustic coupling to the material under test and provide a layer to couple, seal or optimize energy transfer.
Curtiss Wright Nuclear