Ultrasonic waves for materials evaluation in fatigue, thermal and corrosion damage: A review

Abstract Mechanical properties of materials tend to deteriorate over time and thus become responsible for cracks and malfunctions in mechanical components or civil structures. Non-destructive ultrasonic wave analysis has proven to be a successful investigation method for inspecting mechanical properties of materials. This review has highlighted the main results of research in the field of non-linear ultrasonic wave investigations for the inspection of fatigue damage, thermal damage and chemical damage. In all three cases, non-linear ultrasonic wave survey method was effective in detecting first-stage damage.