Structural Investigation of a Damaged GRP/Foam Sandwich Composite Using X rayComputed Tomography

摘要

Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP)/foam sandwich construction is a method ofobtaining stiff lightweight composite structures. These composites find Naval applications in superstructures and in the hulls of vessels requiring a low magnetic signature. The application of such composites requires that they can be inspected by nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques for flaws in manufacturing or for service induced damage, including internal damage from the passage of explosion induced shocks. An investigation of the degree to which x ray computed tomography (CT) can be used to characterize such features, using a composite which contains a number of artifacts of manufacturing, as well as deliberately induced flaws and shock damage is described.