Continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoset and thermoplastic composite laminates were exposed to single transversal impact with different energy levels. The damages impinged to the structural materials were evaluated by active infrared thermography in the transmission mode. In general, the thermoplastic laminate thermograms showed clearer damage indications than those from the thermosetting composite. The convective heating of the samples by controlled hot air flow was more efficient than via irradiation using a filament lamp. It was also observed that longer heating times improved the damage visualization. The positioning of the specimen's impacted face regarding the infrared camera and the heating source did not affect the thermo-imaging of thermosetting specimens, whereas it substantially influenced the thermograms of thermoplastic laminates. The results obtained allow concluding that infrared thermography is a simple, robust and trustworthy methodology for detecting impact damages as slight as 5 J in carbon fiber composite laminates.
Impact damage; infrared thermography; polymer composite laminates
