Title: Nondestructive Characterization of Carbon Fiber Composites through Flash Thermography

Authors: Hannah L. Maesera, Dayakar Penumadub

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/s.22.0780

Abstract: Carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRCs) are ideal for weight reduction and greater fuel efficiency in the commercial automotive industry. Low-cost CFRC material systems and manufacturing techniques have been developed to increase cost effectiveness and reduce manufacturing times but are susceptible to defects during molding. Rapid, nondestructive characterization methods are needed to validate large-scale composite parts during manufacturing. Here we investigate the applicability of flash thermography for nondestructive characterization of internal defects in composite parts. Flash thermography is a surface technique that analyzes variations in the propagation of a high energy pulse through the thickness of a sample. It is shown that flash thermography is capable of detecting internal defects to a certain size dependent on emissivity of the material, power of the flash pulse, and factors of the acquisition setup. Flash thermography is a viable nondestructive technique for rapid inspection and identification of internal defects in composite structures and is well suited for implementation as a quality control method during manufacturing.

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Conference: SAMPE 2022

Publication Date: 2022/05/23

SKU: TP22-0000000780

Pages: 15

Price: $30.00