| Abstract: | A feasibility study on the use of vibration spectrum analysis as a tool for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of polymer composites was conducted. Material integrity of polymer composite samples was determined from the vibrational measurements by analyzing the resonant frequency and damping information. A number of important “states” in the composites tested could be characterized by this analysis. The vibration tehnique was found to be sensitive to physical flawing (fiber breakage, delamination, and matrix cracking). Vibrational NDE has many potential advantages that make it very attractive for composite applications. These include the ability to make global measurements of large structures in real-time, no geometry restrictions, and high sensitivity to a wide variety of damage states. |
