Broad bandwidth and excellent thermal stability in BiScO3-PbTiO3 high-temperature ultrasonic transducer for non-destructive testing

Abstract

High-temperature ultrasonic transducer (HTUT) is essential for non-destructive testing (NDT) in harsh environments. In this paper, a HTUT based on BiScO₃-PbTiO₃ (BS-PT) piezoelectric ceramics was developed, and the effect of different backing layers on its bandwidth were analyzed. The HTUT demonstrates a broad bandwidth and excellent thermal stability with operation temperature up to 400 °C. By using a 10 mm thick porous alumina backing layer, the HTUT achieves a broad −6 dB bandwidth of 100 %, which is about 4 times superior to the transducer with an air backing layer. The center frequency (f_c) of the HTUT remains stable with fluctuations of less than 10 % across the temperature range from room temperature to 400 °C. The HTUT successfully detected simulated defects in pulse-echo mode for NDT over 200 °C. This research not only advances high-temperature ultrasonic transducer technology but also expands the NDT applications in harsh environmental conditions.