Detection and Quantification of Defects in Composite Material by Using Thermal Wave Method

Abstract

This paper explored the results of experimental investigation on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite sample with thermal wave technique. The thermal wave technique combines the advantages of both conventional thermal wave measurement and thermography using a commercial Infrared camera. The sample comprises the artificial inclusions of foreign material to simulate defects of different shape and size at different depths. Lock-in thermography is employed for the detection of defects. The temperature field of the front surface of sample was observed and analysed at several excitation frequencies ranging from 0.562 ㎐ down to 0.032 ㎐. Four-point methodology was applied to extract the amplitude and phase of thermal wave’s harmonic component. The phase images are analyzed to find qualitative and quantitative information about the defects.