Imaging laser ultrasonics measurement of the elastodynamic properties of paper

Many sheet and plate material industries (e.g. paper) desire knowledge of the anisotropic stiffness properties of their material to optimize the manufacturing process. A determination of the anisotropic elastic matrix would be very beneficial for determination of parameters, such as microstructural texture, fiber or grain orientation and stiffness. The propagation of ultrasonic waves in plates is a method for determining the anisotropic elastic properties in a nondestructive manner. Laser ultrasonics offers a noncontacting means to implement these measurements in the workplace by employing pulsed or modulated light to excite symmetric and antisymmetric plate waves concurrent with optical interferometric detection. Measurements can then be performed along the machine and cross directions to obtain parameters that are used empirically for process monitoring. Recently, the INEEL has developed a full-field view laser based ultrasonic imaging method that allows simultaneous measurement of plate wave motion in all planar directions within a single image without scanning. The imaging measurements are based on dynamic holography using photorefractive materials for interferometric detection and are operated at normal video rates. Results from this laser based imaging approach are presented that record Lamb wave mode wavefronts in all planar directions from localized sources in a single image. Specific numerical predictions for flexural wave propagation in distinctly different types of paper accounting fully for orthotropic anisotropy are presented and compared with direct imaging measurements. Very good agreement with theoretical calculations is obtained for the lowest antisymmetric plate mode in all planar directions using paper properties independently determined by others