Understanding Circular Polariscope Functionality :

Engineering Application and Real-Case studies

By -
Atharva S. Bagrao
Omkar Lad
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Anirudha Bhojane
INTRODUCTION TO CIRCULAR
POLARISCOPE
This Presentation explores -

• Key principles, workings, and applications in stress visualization.

• Case studies showing its role in material testing.

• Widely used for safe, non-invasive stress analysis in mechanical, civil,

and aerospace engineering, as well as quality inspection.

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 Definition of Circular Polariscope

• A circular polariscope is an optical instrument used to detect and visualize internal stresses within

transparent materials. It operates by passing circularly polarized light through a material under stress,

revealing stress patterns as colorful fringe patterns due to birefringence. These patterns provide

valuable information about the distribution and intensity of internal stresses, making the circular

polariscope a key tool in fields such as engineering, materials science, and quality control.

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 Principle of Polarization
A polariscope is an optical device used to analyze stress and strain in transparent materials by observing the
changes in polarization of light as it passes through the material. The principle behind a polariscope relies on
polarization and interference of light, which reveals the internal stresses within materials.

1. Polarization of Light

Light waves can vibrate in multiple planes. When light passes through
a polarizer, the light is restricted to oscillating in only one plane,
producing linearly polarized light. This process eliminates all light
waves vibrating in other planes, allowing only light in a specific
direction to pass through.

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2. Interaction with Stressed Materials

When linearly polarized light passes through a material under stress, certain materials exhibit
birefringence (also called double refraction). Birefringent materials split the incoming light into two rays,
each traveling at different speeds. The difference in speed and direction causes a phase shift between the
two rays, which can be visualized as fringe patterns.

3. Stress Indication through Fringe Patterns

The difference in the behavior of the two rays (due to the stress within the material) creates visible
interference fringes. The number, spacing, and color of these fringes provide information about the
amount and distribution of stress within the material:
• More fringes indicate higher stress.
• Larger spacing between fringes shows lower stress
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4. Analyzer
After the light passes through the stressed material, it enters an analyzer (a second polarizer), which is
typically oriented at a specific angle relative to the first polarizer. This analyzer helps visualize the
interference caused by birefringence, allowing the stress patterns to be seen clearly.

5. Visualization of Internal Stresses

The analyzer reveals the fringe patterns, and their appearance helps engineers or scientists
interpret the stress distribution in the material. The density, shape, and color of the fringes indicate
the intensity and variation of internal stress, which can be used to assess material performance or
identify weak points.

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Circular Polariscope
• A circular polariscope is an optical instrument used to observe stress patterns in transparent materials,
often to analyze mechanical properties and internal stresses.

• The circular polariscope is also used for observing isochromatic fringe orders.

• A circular polariscope is an optical device used to study stress patterns in transparent or translucent
materials through a technique called photoelasticity. When materials are subjected to stress, they
exhibit birefringence, meaning they split light into two components that travel at different speeds. This
property helps reveal stress concentrations and distributions within the material.

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 Components of Circular Polariscope
• Light Source: The light source provides the initial light, which can either be monochromatic (single
color) or white (multiple colors). Monochromatic light is often used because it creates clearer and more
distinct stress patterns.
• Polarizer: The first polarizer filters the light, causing it to vibrate in only one direction. This is called
polarized light, and it's important because it interacts with the material in a way that helps us identify
stress.
• Quarter-Wave Plate: The quarter-wave plate changes the linear polarized light into circularly polarized
light. This is the crucial step because the circularly polarized light has a unique interaction with the
stressed material, making the stress patterns visible when they pass through the material.

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• Sample Stage: This is where the material being tested is placed. The circularly polarized light passes
through the material, and if the material is under stress, it will cause the light to split and travel at
different speeds, creating birefringence (which shows up as interference patterns).

• Analyzer: The analyzer is another polarizer placed after the material. It helps us view the
interference patterns formed by the light as it interacts with the stressed material. Depending on
how the light is altered by the stress, the analyzer helps create visible fringe patterns, which we can
use to analyze the intensity and distribution of stress.

• Observation Device: The fringe patterns created by the analyzer can be viewed either through an
eyepiece or captured using a camera. These patterns give us information about how much stress is in
different parts of the material, making it easy to pinpoint weak or stressed areas.

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 Working -
• Polarized Light Entry: Light from the source passes through the polarizer, creating linearly
polarized light.

• Circular Polarization: This light then passes through the first quarter-wave plate, which converts
the linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light.

• Interaction with the Sample: As circularly polarized light passes through the stressed sample, it
experiences birefringence (splitting into two rays with different velocities). The stress pattern in the
sample affects the light path and results in phase shifts between the two rays.

• Exiting Light Analysis: The light, now carrying information about the stress in the sample, exits and
passes through a second quarter-wave plate. This returns it to linearly polarized light with phase
differences due to stress. The analyzer then allows this stress-affected light to pass through
selectively, revealing a pattern.

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 5kg 10kg 15kg

• Red: Represents areas of high stress. These regions are critical and may indicate potential
failure points.
• Yellow/Orange: Indicates moderate stress levels. These areas may require attention but are
not as critical as the red areas.
• Green: Represents low stress areas. These parts of the model are considered safe and are
under minimal load.
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• Blue: Indicates very low or negligible stress. These areas are well within the safety limits.
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Video

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 Advantages -

1. Non-Destructive Testing
2. High Stress Sensitivity
3. Clear Stress Visualization
4. Effective for Transparent Materials
5. Fast and Efficient

Disadvantages -

1. Limited to Transparent Materials

2. Requires Uniform Sample Thickness
3. Sensitive to External Light
4. Difficult for Non-Homogeneous Materials
5. Complex Setup and Calibration
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Case Study: Liberty Ship Failures and Stress Analysis

● Background: Liberty Ships were mass-produced cargo ships designed to transport essential supplies
to Allied forces. Due to the urgency of wartime, these ships were built quickly using prefabricated
steel plates and welded rather than riveted, as welding was faster and required less labor. However,
soon after their deployment, engineers started observing significant issues with these ships — some
even split in half, particularly in colder weather.

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• Problem:
Liberty Ships faced a series of catastrophic brittle fractures, which was alarming as
they often occurred without warning. These failures were linked to high-stress
concentrations in the hull, especially around areas with welded joints, and worsened by cold
temperatures that made the steel more brittle. The sudden nature of these fractures raised
concerns about the safety of the vessels and the adequacy of the design and materials used.

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• Application of Circular Polariscope Analysis:

To investigate these fractures, engineers and materials scientists used stress analysis tools,
including circular polariscopes. They created small-scale transparent models of the ships’ welded
sections and subjected them to various loading conditions. The polariscope allowed them to
observe stress distribution by showing fringe patterns where stress was highest.

• Findings:
1. The circular polariscope tests revealed significant stress concentrations around welded joints
and certain sharp corners. These areas showed intense fringe patterns, indicating that stress levels
were much higher there compared to other parts of the ship.
2. Cold temperatures amplified the problem. The steel used in the ships became more brittle at low
temperatures, meaning it was less able to absorb the stress without fracturing.

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Outcome:

The insights gained from polariscopic stress analysis led to several crucial changes:

• Material Modification: Shipbuilders switched to materials with better fracture toughness at

low temperatures, improving the resilience of the hull under cold conditions.

• Design Adjustments: Engineers redesigned critical areas to reduce stress concentrations,

including adding rounded shapes at certain points instead of sharp angles, which were more

prone to high stresses.

• Manufacturing Process: Although welding continued, better quality control and specific

modifications were introduced to ensure welds did not exacerbate stress concentrations.

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Conclusion:

This case study is a pivotal example of how circular polariscope stress analysis contributed to

safer designs and manufacturing techniques. The improved Liberty Ships performed much

better, and the insights led to advancements in materials science, especially in understanding

brittle fracture. These learnings influenced future shipbuilding and other engineering fields

where welded steel is used, particularly in cold environments.

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Why Circular Polariscope :
We like to use circular polariscopes. They give us an affordable, quick way to see what the stress patterns

in the material are. And one of the good things is that they don't require any high-tech instrumentation and

are simple to do. Thus, they're suitable when you need an immediate real-time view and they don't

damage the material, which can be useful for the expensive or delicate parts under testing. They're great

too for teaching or to check out what you think should happen in simulations to validate the theory by what

is observed. Thus, despite the newer techniques being used, polariscopes continue to bring benefits which

will make them useful even beyond.

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THANKYOU

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