A method (10) for detecting a thermal anomaly in a composite structure (12) is provided. The method (10) includes radiatively heating (14) the composite structure (12) for a period of between about 15 seconds (s) and about 25 s, cooling (24) the heated composite structure (12), monitoring (26) temperature changes of the composite structure (12) as the composite structure (12) cools, and generating (30) a thermal image of the composite structure (12) based on the temperature changes.

This application relates to a method for analyzing the dynamic characteristics of carbon composite materials. In the method, a specimen for a specific carbon fiber orientation is prepared and a modal test is performed on the specimen to obtain data and analyze the characteristics of the specimen on the basis of the data. To solve conventional carbon composite material dynamic characteristic analysis methods for carbon composite materials, the proposed method can determine the orientation of carbon fiber orientation exhibiting desired dynamic characteristics by predicting various system parameters at the state of designing, i.e., before the manufacture of a carbon composite material. Especially, the method predicts system parameters such as structural stiffness and viscous damping coefficient which are very sensitive to the orientation of carbon fiber, using only data of a single reference orientation, and reflects the prediction results on the design of a carbon composite material.

In an example, a method for accelerated conditioning of a composite core sandwich coupon is described. The method includes setting a first temperature and a first relative humidity level of the conditioning apparatus, wherein a combination of the first temperature and the first relative humidity level correspond to a desired relative humidity level of the plurality of cells of the core layer at room temperature. The method includes maintaining the first temperature and the first relative humidity for a first period, wherein during the first period a core humidity of the plurality of cells in the core layer approaches the first relative humidity level. The method includes determining that the core humidity has reached the first relative humidity level. The method includes, based on determining that the core humidity has reached the first relative humidity level, adjusting the first temperature to a second temperature.

Crystal nucleation, and associated articles, systems, and methods, are generally described.

A method and system for determining the quality and configuration of a structure that is constructed from a thermoformable material, such as a thermoplastic or thermoset material, and in particular thermoplastic composite tapes, where heat is applied to cure the thermoformable material. The quality of the build is monitored during the construction of the structure by determining the differential heat flux in the material as it cools from its elevated temperature. The system and method also may determine the location of defects in a structure being constructed so that remedial measures may be taken or production operations halted to address the defect. A transient thermal effect is applied to the structure being monitored, such as the thermoformable material being applied, which may be implemented from the applied heating of the thermoformable construction application process or additional heating.

To identify and/or assess structural integrity of a composite material comprising fiduciary markers which attenuate x-rays to an extent greater than the rest of the material, a method is provided wherein x-ray 3D tomosynthesis images of the composite material are created using an array of x-ray emitters and a digital x-ray detector wherein the array of x-ray emitters and the digital x-ray detector are maintained in fixed relation to one another and to the composite material, the 3D tomosynthesis images being used to determine the relative location of at least some of the fiduciary markers with respect to one another; a database is provided for storing the relative location of at least some of the fiduciary markers with respect to one another, further x-ray 3D tomosynthesis images of the same, or a different, composite material may be checked against the data in the database to ascertain structural integrity and/or identity of the material.

A resin composition quality controlling method includes a step of measuring a Raman spectrum of a resin composition composed of TiO.sub.2 particles dispersed in a base material mainly composed of a silicone rubber by irradiating the resin composition with laser, and a step of determining a concentration of the TiO.sub.2 particles in the resin composition based on an intensity of a fluorescence spectrum in the Raman spectrum.

This application relates to an apparatus and method for analyzing the damping characteristics of a carbon composite material. Damping analysis of carbon composite material using modal damping ratio is a conventional method that cannot accurately represent viscous damping coefficient variation but has errors in a sensitivity analysis. The damping characteristics of the carbon composite material were described by a parallel combination of the viscous damping coefficient of carbon fiber and binding matrix. The damping characteristics of the carbon composite material were expressed with the sensitivity index calculated only from the viscous damping coefficient of the carbon fiber by removing the viscous damping coefficient of the binding matrix that does not change depending on the carbon fiber direction. Various embodiments improve accuracy in analyzing the damping characteristics of carbon composite material.

Disclosed are a test method and algorithm for an aging life of a composite, and a use thereof. The test method and algorithm includes: respectively placing specimens in four temperature environments to undergo damp and hot, high and low temperature impact and high and low temperature alternating cycle for a specified time; testing the physical, chemical and electrical properties of the specimens by using laminated combined test pieces; fitting parameters in a micro-gasification expansion oscillation equation; fitting constants in a kinetic correlation equation (2) of the parameters; calculating new values of the parameters in any temperature environment by using the constant equation (2); and substituting the new values of the parameters back into the equation (1), so as to evaluate or predict the physical, chemical and electrical properties of the specimens at any time.

Regarding to a fiber-reinforced material formed by deforming a reinforcing material composed of a plurality of fiber layers from an initial shape and molding into a predetermined shape, an identification device, an identification method, and an identification program generate a first data in which a physical quantity distribution inside the fiber-reinforced material is mapped to the initial shape, perform binarization of the first data to generate a second data in which a label identifying the fiber layer is mapped to the initial shape, and map the second data to a predetermined shape, based on a deformation data.