TY - JOUR
T1 - Aeronautics composite material inspection with a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system
AU - Ospald, Frank
AU - Zouaghi, Wissem
AU - Beigang, René
AU - Matheis, Carsten
AU - Jonuscheit, Joachim
AU - Recur, Benoit
AU - Guillet, Jean Paul
AU - Mounaix, Patrick
AU - Vleugels, Wouter
AU - Bosom, Pablo Venegas
AU - González, Laura Vega
AU - López, Ion
AU - Edo, Rafael Martínez
AU - Sternberg, Yehuda
AU - Vandewal, Marijke
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge funding through the European Union Seventh Framework Programme, EU FP7-AAT-2010-RTD-1, grant no. 266320.
PY - 2014/3
Y1 - 2014/3
N2 - The usability of pulsed broadband terahertz radiation for the inspection of composite materials from the aeronautics industry is investigated, with the goal of developing a mobile time-domain spectroscopy system that operates in reflection geometry. A wide range of samples based on glass and carbon fiber reinforced plastics with various types of defects is examined using an imaging system; the results are evaluated both in time and frequency domain. The conductivity of carbon fibers prevents penetration of the respective samples but also allows analysis of coatings from the reflected THz pulses. Glass fiber composites are, in principle, transparent for THz radiation, but commonly with significant absorption for wavelengths 1 THz. Depending on depth, matrix material, and size, defects like foreign material inserts, delaminations, or moisture contamination can be visualized. If a defect is not too deep in the sample, its location can be correctly identified from the delay between partial reflections at the surface and the defect itself.
AB - The usability of pulsed broadband terahertz radiation for the inspection of composite materials from the aeronautics industry is investigated, with the goal of developing a mobile time-domain spectroscopy system that operates in reflection geometry. A wide range of samples based on glass and carbon fiber reinforced plastics with various types of defects is examined using an imaging system; the results are evaluated both in time and frequency domain. The conductivity of carbon fibers prevents penetration of the respective samples but also allows analysis of coatings from the reflected THz pulses. Glass fiber composites are, in principle, transparent for THz radiation, but commonly with significant absorption for wavelengths 1 THz. Depending on depth, matrix material, and size, defects like foreign material inserts, delaminations, or moisture contamination can be visualized. If a defect is not too deep in the sample, its location can be correctly identified from the delay between partial reflections at the surface and the defect itself.
KW - Rohacell
KW - carbon fiber reinforced plastic
KW - composite materials
KW - glass fiber reinforced plastic
KW - honeycomb
KW - laminate
KW - non-destructive testing
KW - terahertz imaging
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84890573363&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/1.OE.53.3.031208
DO - 10.1117/1.OE.53.3.031208
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84890573363
SN - 0091-3286
VL - 53
JO - Optical Engineering
JF - Optical Engineering
IS - 3
M1 - 031208
ER -