Detection of general yielding in a516 steel by acoustic emission

A study of the acoustic emission behaviour of A516-70 steel has shown that acoustic emission is well suited to the detection of general yielding. The acoustic emission parameters studied were the count rate and the total count as well as a quantitative analysis of the frequency spectrum of acoustic emission signals obtained during the fracture tests. It was found that the major acoustic emission activity occurs during the process of formation of the plastic zone and ends at the load corresponding to general yielding of the untorn ligament. The frequency analysis of the acoustic signals, however, was found to overestimate the onset of unstable crack growth. Ductile crack propagation mechanisms for this material did not exhibit a high activity of acoustic emission.