Editing Ultrasound (section)

===Ultrasonic impact treatment===
[[Ultrasonic impact treatment]] (UIT) uses ultrasound to enhance the mechanical and physical properties of metals.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Statnikov |first1=Efim Sh. |last2=Korolkov |first2=Oleg V. |last3=Vityazev |first3=Vladimir N. |title=Physics and mechanism of ultrasonic impact |journal=Ultrasonics |date=December 2006 |volume=44 |pages=e533–e538 |doi=10.1016/j.ultras.2006.05.119 |pmid=16808946 }}</ref> It is a metallurgical processing technique in which ultrasonic energy is applied to a metal object. Ultrasonic treatment can result in controlled residual compressive stress, grain refinement and grain size reduction. Low and high cycle fatigue are enhanced and have been documented to provide increases up to ten times greater than non-UIT specimens. Additionally, UIT has proven effective in addressing [[stress corrosion cracking]], [[corrosion fatigue]] and related issues.

When the UIT tool, made up of the ultrasonic transducer, pins and other components, comes into contact with the work piece it acoustically couples with the work piece, creating harmonic resonance.<ref>{{cite web|title=UIT Solutions Video|url=http://www.appliedultrasonics.com/solutions_video.html|work=appliedultrasonics.com|access-date=28 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510085911/http://www.appliedultrasonics.com/solutions_video.html|archive-date=2012-05-10|url-status=live}}</ref> This harmonic resonance is performed at a carefully calibrated frequency, to which metals respond very favorably.

Depending on the desired effects of treatment a combination of different frequencies and displacement amplitude is applied. These frequencies range between 25 and 55&nbsp;kHz,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tools of the Trade |url=http://appliedultrasonics.com/solutions.html|work=appliedultrasonics.com|access-date=28 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531004615/http://www.appliedultrasonics.com/solutions.html|archive-date=2008-05-31|url-status=live}}</ref> with the displacement amplitude of the resonant body of between 22 and 50&nbsp;μm (0.00087 and 0.0020 in).

UIT devices rely on [[magnetostrictive]] transducers.