A review of factors influencing defect detection in infrared thermography: Applications to coated materials

Infrared thermography is a technique that is used to nondestructively inspect parts for the presence of subsurface defects. The technique normally consists of applying heat to one surface of the part and observing the thermal response, using heat-sensing devices such as infrared cameras, as the part cools. Internal defects such as voids modify the thermal response and produce local hot or cold spots on the specimen surface. For the detection of subsurface defects, the sensitivity of the technique to different parameters such as defect depth, material properties, and heating methods has not been established due in part to the complex nature of the heat/flaw interaction. A finite element model is used here to examine the influence of these parameters on defect dectability. The model shows that the defect detectability decreases with increasing defect depth beneath the surface, and that the technique is most sensitive to the inspection of low thermal diffusivity coatings bonded to high thermal diffusivity substrates. The results also show that the heat pulse duration should be made as short as possible to maximize defect detectability.