High temperature stability study of lithium niobate

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Ultrasound is one of the most important non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques used to monitor the integrityof critical components and infrastructure across industries. For example, aircraft engines, natural gas pipelines,refinery columns, water lines, and turbine blades are all regularly inspected using ultrasound. Ultrasound isnon-destructive, and can therefore be used without damaging the system it is monitoring. This technique helpsdiagnose fractures, wear, corrosion, and other degradation that, if not caught early, may lead to catastrophicfailure. A major limitation of current ultrasound transducers is that they are unable to operate at elevatedtemperatures (above about 200°C) - thereby precluding a wide range of applications, including in-servicestructural health monitoring (SHM) at high temperatures. One of the primary challenges of operating anultrasound transducer at high temperature is the deterioration of the active piezoelectric component attemperatures above about 200°C. We therefore are investigating the use of a alternative active piezoelectriccomponents that are able to withstand higher temperatures. The research outcome could ultimately lead to thedevelopment of a novel ultrasound transducer that is able to withstand high temperatures - thereby enablingin-service monitoring of critical components, such as in power plants, jet engines, and refineries.