Vibration tests on metal alloys with embedded optical fibers

摘要

The aim of the present paper is to describe the tests performed on the zinc-aluminum specimens cast with optical fibers inserted in it. Aspect concerning the wettability of the fiber matrix interface and the buoyancy of the fiber into the melt are considered. Special care has been devoted to the realization of the chill for obtaining a slender specimen suitable for vibration tests. Metallographic studies have been carried out in order to obtain information on the state of the optical fiber. One arm of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been set with the specimen described above. Optimal correlation has been found between the excitation applied on the specimen and the response obtained by the fringe pattern variation.