Detection of delamination defects in CFRP materials using ultrasonic signal processing

• Published in: Ultrasonics Vol. 48; no. 8; pp. 731 - 738
• Main Authors: Benammar, Abdessalem, Drai, Redouane, Guessoum, Abderrezak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acoustical measurements and instrumentation; Acoustics; Aircraft - instrumentation; Algorithms; Carbon; CFRP; Composite materials; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Deconvolution; Electromagnetic Phenomena; EM algorithm; Exact sciences and technology; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Materials science; Materials testing; Models, Theoretical; Physics; Polymers; Solid mechanics; SSP; Structural and continuum mechanics; Ultrasonic NDE; Ultrasonics; SSP; Deconvolution; Composite materials; Ultrasonic NDE; EM algorithm; CFRP; Acoustic measurement; Modeling; Composite material; Ultrasonic control; Signal processing; Fibre reinforced plastics; Carbon fiber reinforced plastics; Aircraft; Delamination; Non destructive test; Ultrasound; Defect detection; Damaging; Carbon fiber
• ISSN: 0041-624X; 1874-9968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2008.04.005

In this paper, signal processing techniques are tested for their ability to resolve echoes associated with delaminations in carbon fiber-reinforced polymer multi-layered composite materials (CFRP) detected by ultrasonic methods. These methods include split spectrum processing (SSP) and the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm. A simulation study on defect detection was performed, and results were validated experimentally on CFRP with and without delamination defects taken from aircraft. Comparison of the methods for their ability to resolve echoes are made.