Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation of Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites Using Pulse Compression Favorable Analysis Approach

Abstract This paper presents an innovative approach to improve the accuracy and resolution of defect detection in glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) composites using pulse compression analysis for thermal wave imaging. GFRP materials, widely utilized in various industries owing to lightweight and durable properties, often present challenges in identifying subsurface defects. Traditional thermal wave imaging techniques face limitations in achieving high-resolution results. The study outlines the theoretical foundation of pulse compression and its application in thermal wave inspection. A comprehensive experimental setup was designed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Results indicate a significant improvement in the localization and characterization of defects within GFRP composites. The findings of this research hold implications for nondestructive testing and quality control in industries relying on GFRP materials. The integration of pulse compression analysis into thermal wave imaging establishes a promising avenue for precise defect detection, contributing to the reliability and integrity of GFRP composite structures. Also, two key metrics, absolute thermal contrast and signal-to-background contrast, are used for quantitative analysis.