Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L27633/01
Title:	QUANTITATIVE NDT OF SURFACE DAMAGE IN GLASS AND CERAMICS
Principal Investigator:	Roberts, Professor SG
Other Investigators:	Briggs, Professor GAD Briggs, Professor G
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Morgan Matroc NSG
Department:	Materials
Organisation:	University of Oxford
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	28 March 1996	Ends:	27 March 1998	Value (£):	86,640
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Construction
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
We are currently developing experimental methods to characterise surface and subsurface damage in brittle materials, so as to be able to perform non-destructive characterisation of surfaces during and after grinding, polishing and precision machining. Damage is in the form of surface roughness, of distributions of surface-breaking and subsurface cracks, and residual stresses. We have shown that the velocity of surface acoustic waves is very sensitive to the state of surfaces of samples of semiconductor ceramic and glass samples. There is no reliable theory of how the surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity depends on damage, and so it is not possible to use SAW velocity for a quantitative assessment of these surfaces. This project is to develop theoretical models of surface wave velocity in damaged brittle materials, so that we can make full use of the non-destructive experimental techniques. We have already developed basic methods for the effects of surface roughness on SAW velocity. In this study, methods will be developed to determine the effect of distributions of surface and subsurface cracks on SAW velocity. Models which combine different kinds of defects on surface wave velocity will be developed. Especial emphasis will be placed on industrially important brittle materials, such as ceramics and glasses. The work has important applications in the use of the SAW methods as quantitative NDT techniques for surface damage.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ox.ac.uk