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Assessing Barely Visible Impact Damage in Thermoplastic Composites through the Logarithmic Slope Histogram Sequence

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Abstract:

Thermoset and thermoplastic composites are extensively used in aerospace because of their exceptional mechanical properties. Compared to thermoset composites, thermoplastic matrix composites offer excellent chemical and physical damage resistance and are more cost-effective to produce. However, barely visible impact damage (BVID) poses a critical risk to thermoplastic Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) aerospace structures due to its limited surface manifestation and significant effect on compressive strength. This study presents a thermographic nondestructive evaluation (TNDE) approach based on Thermographic Signal Reconstruction (TSR) fingerprints to enable repeatable depth and area estimation of impact-induced damage. A data-driven threshold is derived from the logarithmic slope histogram sequence, allowing consistent separation of sound and damaged regions without relying on contrast extrema or operator-dependent frame selection. The method is first validated using flat-bottom holes (FBH) of known geometry and then applied to an industrial thermoplastic composite demonstrator subjected to multiple impact energies. Quantitative comparisons with ultrasonic C-scan measurements demonstrate convincing correlation and stable trends, with error magnitudes consistent with known physical limitations of flash thermography for deeper or structurally constrained defects. The results demonstrate that the proposed methodology offers a resilient, contactless alternative for swift BVID screening and comparative damage quantification in aerospace composite inspection.

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Periodical:

Defect and Diffusion Forum (Volume 453)

Pages:

45-60

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4028/p-l2Y1ZQ

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Online since:

July 2026

Authors:

Pusan Dhar*, Manoj Rijal, David Amoateng-Mensah, Richard Amevorku, Mannur Sundaresan

Keywords:

Aerospace Engineering, Image Processing, Signal Processing, Sound Zone Detection, TSR Fingerprint

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© 2026 Trans Tech Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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* - Corresponding Author

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