Damage detection on polymeric matrix composite materials by using acoustic emission techique

Abstract

IN ORDER TO PREDICT THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF A COMPOSITE DURING ITS SERVICE LIFE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY THE INITIATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CRACKS AND ITS EFFECTS INDUCED BY DEGRADATION. THE ONSET OF DAMAGE IS RELATED TO THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE COMPONENT AND ITS FATIGUE LIFE. FOR THIS, AMONG OTHER REASONS, NON-DESTRUCTIVE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN WIDELY USED NOWADAYS IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION SUCH AS ACOUSTIC EMISSION (AE). THIS METHOD HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENT RESULTS ON DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING INITIATIONS SITES, CRACKING PROPAGATION AND FRACTURE MECHANISMS OF POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITE MATERIALS. AT THE SAME TIME, MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR HAS BEEN RELATED INTIMATELY TO THE REINFORCEMENT ARCHITECTURE. THE GOAL OF THIS PAPER IS TO REMARK THE IMPORTANCE OF ACOUSTIC EMISSION TECHNIQUE AS A UNIQUE TOOL FOR CHARACTERIZING MECHANICAL PARAMETERS IN RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL STRESSES AND DEGRADATION PROCESSES. SOME RESULTS OBTAINED FROM DIFFERENT ANALYSIS ARE DISCUSSED TO SUPPORT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF USING AE, TECHNIQUE THAT WILL BE INCREASED CONTINUOUSLY IN THE COMPOSITE MATERIALS FIELD DUE TO ITS SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES FOR UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR, THEREFORE THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS MANUSCRIPT IS TO INVOLVE THE BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES OF AE IN THE MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION.