THE USE OF POWER ULTRASOUND FOR MATERIAL PROCESSING

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National laboratory have been sponsoring a number of projects investigating the use of high intensity ultrasonic vibrations for material processing. High intensity ultrasonic vibrations have been tested for degassing of molten aluminum, grain refinement of alloys of industrial importance, and modification of welding structure. The project results have indicated that power ultrasound can be used for fast degassing of molten metal, for significant grain refinement of alloys during their solidification processes, and for improving the microstructure in the weldment of steels. This article describes the project results and outlines the limits of using ultrasonic vibrations for material processing.