Thermoelectric detection of spherical tin inclusions in copper by magnetic sensing

Inclusions and other types of imperfections in metals can be nondestructively detected by noncontacting magnetic measurements that sense the thermoelectric currents around such flaws when the specimen is subjected to directional heating and cooling. This article presents experimental data for the magnetic field produced by thermoelectric currents around surface-breaking spherical tin inclusions in copper under external thermal excitation for different lift-off distances between the sensor and the surface of the specimen. The diameter of the inclusions and the lift-off distance varied from 2.4 to 12.7 mm and from 12 to 20 mm, respectively. A fairly modest 0.7 °C/cm temperature gradient in the specimen produced peak magnetic flux densities ranging from 1 to 250 nT. These results were found to be in good agreement with recently published theoretical predictions [P. B. Nagy and A. H. Nayfeh, J. Appl. Phys. 87, 7481 (2000)].