Laser induced fluorescence imaging of thermal damage in polymer matrix composites
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
- N.A.S. North Island, San Diego, CA (United States). Naval Aviation Depot
- Naval Air Warfare Center, Patuxent River, MD (United States). Aircraft Div.
A simple, fluorescence based imaging system has been developed that is capable of identifying regions of thermal damage in polymer matrix composites (PMCs). These materials are playing an increasingly important role in the production of high performance vehicles and aircraft, where their low weight and high mechanical strength, combined with advancements in manufacturing technology, ensure increased use for a variety of applications. Of particular concern in the aerospace industry is the tendency of some PMC materials to become irreversibly damaged when exposed to elevated temperatures. Traditional nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques are capable of detecting physical anomalies such as cracks and delaminations but cannot detect initial heat damage, which occurs on a molecular scale. Spectroscopic techniques such as laser induced fluorescence provide an attractive means for detecting this type of damage and are amenable to imaging large, irregularly shaped surfaces. In this report the authors describe instrumentation capable of rapidly detecting thermal damage in graphite epoxy components and suggest improvements which will enable this technology to make quantitative judgments concerning the mechanical strength properties of heat damaged specimens.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 500920
- Journal Information:
- Materials Evaluation, Vol. 55, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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