Research on the transmission characteristics of air-coupled ultrasound in double-layered bonded structures

Abstract

The ultrasonic transmission spectrum in a double-layered bonded structure is related closely to its interfacial stiffness. Consequently, researching the regularity of the transmission spectrum is of significant interest in evaluating the integrity of the bonded structure. Based on the spring model and the potential function theory, a theoretical model is developed by the transfer matrix method to predict the transmission spectrum in a double-layered bonded structure. Some shift rules of the transmission peaks are obtained by numerical calculation of this model with different substrates. The results show that the resonant transmission peaks move towards a higher frequency with the increase of the normal interfacial stiffness, and each of them has different movement distances with the increasing interfacial stiffness. Indeed, it is also observed that the movement starting points of these peaks are at the specific frequency at which the thickness of either substrate plate equals an integral multiple of half a wavelength. The results from measuring the bonding specimens, which have different interfacial properties and different substrates in this experiment, are utilized to verify the theoretical analysis. Though the theory of "starting points" is not demonstrated effectively, the shift direction and distance exactly match with the result from the theoretical algorithm.