On the application of liquid-crystal thermography for the nondestructive detection of delamination in composite structures

To prevent the catastrophic failure of composite structures, several nondestructive testing methods have been developed. In this study, a new technique to evaluate these structures by using thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) thermography is presented. Temperature gradients produced by sensitive liquid-crystals are used to detect delamination in composite specimens. The effects of constituent materials and delamination size/location are investigated. The results from TLC thermography are compared to those from infrared thermography. Finally, advantages/disadvantages of the new method are discussed. On the basis of the results from this study, it could be concluded that the TLC thermography can be used as an inexpensive nondestructive testing method in inspection of composite structures.