The techniques of Barkhausen Noise (BN) and Magneto Acoustic Emission (MAE) were applied to a ferromagnetic material with the objective of correlating the obtained signals with the micro structural changes. The first step was the development of an Integral Measurement System (IMS) for the BN and MAE signals. Different devices as magnetic yoke, current source, amplifiers, frequency filters and different magnetic sensors were constructed. The first measurements were developed on an AISI 1020 steel, with low carbon content, submitted to different thermo mechanical treatments. One of the test probe was used as standard, the others were subjected to surface decarburation, grain growth and plastic deformation. The effects of radiation damage were also studied with BN and MAE. Other two smaller test pieces were prepared. The irradiated specimen was subject to a low flow of fast neutrons (3.6 10(15) n/cm²) and the other, was used as standard. In all cases the result were relevant. In particular, the RMS value of the BN and MAE signals resulted as an appropriated parameter whose variation followed adequately the microstuctural changes. The changes and the peaks in the signals are owed to the anchors of the magnetic domain walls. The present paper lead to recommend this IMS as a valuable tool in No Destructive Testting (NDT) for ferromagnetic materials, all times the system be previously calibrated with a standard probe.
Barkhausen Noise; Magneto acoustic Emission; Thermo-mechanical Treatments; Irradiation Damage; Internal Stresses; Nondestructive Testing (NDT
