Possibilities of Detecting Damage Due to Osmosis of GFRP Composites Used in Marine Applications

Abstract

The marine composites market is driven by the increasing demand for lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and impact-resistant boats. Polymer matrix composites are currently the most popular composite material in marine applications. Fiberglass composites are practically the main type of fiber composites that are used extensively in marine applications. Due to the aggressive sea environment, composite structural elements of ships are exposed to damage due to the phenomenon of osmosis. This damage is also favored by defects that result from impacts and technological errors during the production of these elements. Non-destructive testing methods are necessary to detect damage in the internal structure of the composite. The paper presents a numerical analysis of the possibility of using vibrothermography in the detection of defects in glass–fiber reinforced laminates in marine applications. Numerical simulations have shown that the most favorable method for detecting defects will be acoustic waves. This is an unusual application because, as a rule, the range of ultrasonic waves is used in vibrothermography. In our further works, it is planned to verify numerical calculations through experimental research. The applicability of the terahertz technique was also assessed. During the experimental testing, all defects in the test sample of the glass–fiber reinforced composite were detected using this technique. The presented results indicate the applicability of the presented methods for the detection of defects in composites used in marine applications.