Non-Destructive Testing of Mineral Fibre Composite Structures
topic
NDT methods for mineral fibre composites include ultrasonic C-scan pulse echo and through-transmission detecting delaminations and voids as amplitude reductions, thermographic flash thermography identifying delaminations as thermal anomalies, X-ray computed tomography providing three-dimensional void and crack mapping at voxel resolution below 10 micrometres, and acoustic emission monitoring during loading detecting fibre fracture, matrix cracking, and delamination events.
Role
Enables detection of manufacturing defects and service-induced damage in safety-critical mineral fibre composite structures including aircraft components, pressure vessels, and wind turbine blades without removing them from service, supporting scheduled maintenance inspection intervals and damage-based maintenance decisions that maintain structural integrity while minimising unnecessary component replacement.