Undergraduate researcher Windamarihel (Los Alamos National Laboratory-Jeonbuk National University Engineering Institute-Korea, supervised by Professor Seongho Choi) presented a technique that uses ultrasound to nondestructively assess metals' grain size, elastic modulus, yield strength, and hardness at the recent meeting of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing, and received the Outstanding Paper Presentation Award.

Conventional evaluation of microstructural features and material properties is performed using destructive tests such as optical microscopy or tensile testing, making them difficult to apply to industrial structures that are in service.

However, the ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation technique studied by Windamarihel enables assessment of microstructural features and material properties without damaging the inspected object, making it highly suitable for field application.

In particular, this technique is expected to be efficiently used to detect or predict in advance the occurrence of cracks caused by pipeline aging.

Windamarihel said, "I was able to achieve good results thanks to the help of the members of the Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratory," and added, "I will redouble my efforts in research and development to contribute to the advancement of nondestructive testing technology."

Meanwhile, the Nondestructive Evaluation Laboratory (NDE Lab) of Los Alamos National Laboratory-Jeonbuk National University Engineering Institute-Korea conducts research on the integrity assessment of nuclear power plant structures, metallic 3D-printed products, aircraft components, and carbon composite materials, as well as on artificial intelligence & remote-robot-based nondestructive evaluation.