Nondestructive determination of mechanical properties

Aluminum alloys of types 1100, 3003, 5052, 6061, and 2024 were used to study the sensitivity of the acousto-elastic constant to changes in the microstructure. Results show that there is a strong relationship between the acousto-elastic constants and the yield strength and hardness. This relationship depends on whether the alloy is strain hardened or precipitation hardened. In strain hardened alloys, the constants increase as the amount of solid solution is decreased, while the behavior is the opposite in precipitation hardened alloys.