Red hot resonant ultrasound spectroscopy

Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS) measures the full elastic modulus tensor of low-acoustic-loss solids. Described here are hardware and software capable of RUS measurements from room temperature to about 1000 °C in a controlled atmosphere, which fits on and is safe to use on a desktop. The system implements a buffer rod with a foot so that all signals can be accessed through the cold bottom of system. A closed furnace top minimizes errors in temperature measurement from convection. A low-acoustically coupled buffer rod heat sink ensures that PZT transducers can be used on relatively short buffer rods, remain well below their Curie temperature, and can yield resonances with Q exceeding 30 000. The intent of this article is to provide sufficient detail to enable the reader to construct such a system. Measurements of the ferromagnetic phase transition of Ni and of the elastic moduli of high purity alumina at 950 °C are presented using this system.