Abstract: A method and apparatus for rapid in-situ spectroscopic analysis of preselected components of homogeneous solid chemical compositions, especially pharmaceutical products. The apparatus comprises a high-power pulsed laser whose beam is focused on the material, typically a tablet or the powder prior to compaction into the tablet, which generally consists of an active ingredient (e.g. a drug) and a filler material (cellulose, glucose, lactose, etc.). The pulsed laser beam vaporizes a small volume of the pharmaceutical product and produces a plasma having an elemental composition which is representative of the pharmaceutical product. The atomic composition of the vaporized material is analyzed with an optical spectrometer.

Abstract: Efficient, simple, miniature and economical piezoelectric and ultrasonic devices employing optical fibers coated with lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) thin piezoelectric and ferroelectric films are described. The PZT thin films are fabricated chemically by a sol-gel method. Optical fibers can be dipped into the PZT solution, and followed by an annealing and an electric poling process in order to achieve good piezoelectricity in the coated PZT films. This coating process can be devised as an on-line method and thus coating length can be larger than meters. Due to the long coating length, high piezoelectricity, miniature and flexible nature, devices using optical fibers may be used for medical, telecommunication and sensor applications.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for measuring magnetic losses in a ferromagnetic material specimen. According to the invention, an alternating magnetic field having a predetermined frequency and an amplitude which is modulated at a frequency lower than the predetermined frequency is applied to the specimen, and a temperature modulation at a surface of the specimen having the applied field is measured. The magnitude of magnetic losses in the specimen is determined from the measured surface temperature modulation. The method and apparatus of the invention do not necessitate winding coils around the ferromagnetic material specimen, and also enable one to obtain information about the distribution of magnetic losses in the specimen.

Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, evaluating forming capabilities of metal plate by means of ultrasonic waves where the rolling direction and the density of the plate are known. The method comprises the steps of launching acoustic waves into the plate and detecting acoustic waves propagating in the plate to establish acoustic velocities in the plate along at least two different directions. Then the value of a certain plastic strain characteristic, like the average plastic strain ratio R or the planar strain ratio .DELTA.R, is determined from a previously established empirical relationship between the velocities and the value of the plastic strain ratio R(.alpha.).

Abstract: An elastic waveguide, for propagating acoustic waves, consists of an elongated solid core region and an elongated solid outer cladding region. The acoustic waves propagate in a mode where the principle particle displacement is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the waveguide, this mode is called longitudinal mode. The material densities and the bulk shear wave velocities of the core and cladding region are substantially the same but the bulk longitudinal wave velocity of the cladding region is larger than that of the core region.

Abstract: An acoustic crack detection method and device in which an impact is produced between an actually tested metal piece and an anvil. This impact generates an acoustic wave formed of a plurality of components, one of these wave components being produced by vibrations of the metal piece and having a frequency indicating a cracked or uncracked state of this piece. A microphone senses the acoustic wave generated by the impact and a measuring circuit receives the signal from the microphone for measuring the energy, within a predetermined time gate and within a predetermined frequency bandwidth, of the wave component of interest. The measured energy is compared with a reference level in order to determine if the actually tested metal piece is cracked or not.

Abstract: There is provided a class of mechanically pre-stressed structures, suitably bi-layer strips comprising a layer of group 5 transition metals in intimate contact with a layer of an intermetallic compound of said transition metals with certain group 3A, 4A or 5A metals or metalloids suitably gallium, indium, silicon, germanium, tin, arsenic or antimony. The changes of Young's modulus of these bi-layered combinations at temperatures in the region of but somewhat above absolute zero provides a useful means of sensing temperature changes. Such bi-metallic strips may be used as control strips in thermostats, in direct dial reading instruments, or the like.