INSPECTION LAB

The inspection lab complements the mechanical tests with non-destructive and microstructural techniques. They allow us to detect, locate and quantify internal damage, and to identify the failure modes of composite materials and structures, before and after testing.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION

Ultrasonic A, B and C-scan
X-ray computed tomography

MICROSTRUCTURAL INSPECTION

Optical fluorescence microscopy
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

A, B AND C-SCAN

Ultrasonic inspection of internal material damage.

Impact damage (delaminations) in CFRP laminates

X-RAY TOMOGRAPHY

3D X-ray images of the microstructure and internal damage.

3D reconstruction of internal damage in a composite specimen

OPTICAL FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY

Detailed failure mode identification.

Cross section of a woven CFRP laminate

Cross section of a delaminated UD CFRP laminate

SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (SEM)

Detailed failure mode identification.

SEM image of a fractured cross-ply CFRP laminate (L. Marín, PhD thesis, 2015)