Effect of the porosity and particle size of materials on sound-wave velocity

Methods were developed to measure longitudinal and transverse sound velocities in porous materials – various Zn–S mixtures and KBr samples. It is shown that, on exposure to ultrasound with a wavelength far exceeding the pore size in pressed samples, a porous body behaves as a continuous medium. Sound velocity in a porous material was found to depend on the quantitative ratio of vacuum, air, and toluene in the pores. Bulk sound velocities estimated using an additive method agree with experimental data within an error not more than 10%. It was found that removal of moisture traces from porous samples led to significant absorption of sound waves.