Ultrasonic
Sound velocity in common materials
Typical longitudinal and shear velocities for common materials, in metric and inch units.
For reference only — verify against your procedure and the governing code.
| Material | Longitudinal mm/µs | Shear mm/µs | Source m/s (long. / shear) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel | 5.900 | 3.230 | 5,900 / 3,230 |
| Stainless steel (347) | 5.790 | 3.100 | 5,790 / 3,100 |
| Stainless steel (410) | 5.900 | 3.300 | 5,900 / 3,300 |
| Iron, electrolytic | 5.960 | 3.220 | 5,960 / 3,220 |
| Aluminum | 6.300 | 3.130 | 6,300 / 3,130 |
| Titanium | 6.240 | 3.215 | 6,240 / 3,215 |
| Inconel | 5.720 | 3.020 | 5,720 / 3,020 |
| Nickel | 5.630 | 2.960 | 5,630 / 2,960 |
| Monel | 6.020 | 2.720 | 6,020 / 2,720 |
| Copper | 4.700 | 2.260 | 4,700 / 2,260 |
| Brass | 4.370 | 2.100 | 4,370 / 2,100 |
| Magnesium | 5.740 | 3.080 | 5,740 / 3,080 |
| Tungsten | 5.460 | 2.620 | 5,460 / 2,620 |
| Plastic (acrylic resin) | 2.670 | 1.120 | 2,670 / 1,120 |
Converted from the source's m/s: 1 mm/µs = 1 km/s = 1,000 m/s.
Formula
- 1 mm/µs = 1 km/s = 1,000 m/s
- 1 in./µs = 25,400 m/s (exact)
Units. The source tabulates m/s. The table shows mm/µs (= km/s) or in./µs converted from it, with the source's m/s beside each row.
Assumptions and limits
- TYPICAL values. ASTM E494 says they come from a number of sources and vary with composition, processing and test conditions — measure the material when accuracy matters.
Sources
- ASTM E494-20, Standard Practice for Measuring Ultrasonic Velocity in Materials — Appendix X3, Table X3.1 (typical values).
- NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B conversion factors.
More ultrasonic calculators
For reference only — verify against your procedure and the governing code.
Standards and documents are cited by their publishers' names to identify them. TRACE is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ASTM International, ASME, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NIST or the Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel. Formulas are paraphrased and cited by clause; get the documents themselves from their publishers.