Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the effect of the nature of the core material, the geometry of the buffer rods, as well as the nature and thickness of the cladding material on the ultrasonic propagation properties of these guidance components. The development of ultrasonic waveguides was studied in order to address the need for operation under strict conditions. The effects of the composition and thickness of the cladding as well as the type and geometry of the core were investigated with straight and tapered aluminum oxide and 1018 steel rods for the core and with plasma-sprayed aluminum oxide or aluminum oxide-chromium oxide for the coating. The results show that tapered plated buffer rods perform better than their unclad straight counterparts. They also indicate that the addition of chromium oxide to aluminum oxide is promising in a broader temperature range in which these conductors can be used. Paper includes a German-language abstract.