Leather characterisation by IR Thermography

摘要

A soft material testing, as leather is more difficult than a rigid material one, especially for the variable shape. A complex processing is actually performed to accomplish the industry requirements and much more information about the internal structure is requested than simple visual inspection. Pulsed Phase Thermography is a suitable tool for a fast and reliable testing of such materials. A first step is the Non Destructive Testing devoted to the identification of hidden scratches. A more complex analysis is required to visualize the texture in depth, evaluating the quality of the final product. Thermal diffusivity and effusivity proven their usefulness to distinguish among different leather types. Experimental results on different specimens containing intentionally fabricated defects and normal samples are presented. The used experimental procedure is described. A mathematical model of the leather covered by a finishing layer has been applied to interpret experimental data.