New Trends of Damage Detection and Identification Based on Vibrothermography in Composite Materials

The infrared thermography technique is applied in the detection of damage in metallic and non-metallic materials, and its use allows one to determine if components or elements of mechanical structures are able to work safely. Among the different techniques used to detect damage, vibrothermography uses vibration to excite the material and infrared thermography to map the material’s surface in search of profiles of temperature that can indicate the presence of internal damages. Thus, for composite materials, the current study makes it possible to identify which directions are being taken by different groups of researchers in the last ten years for identification and characterization of the damage, evaluation of the heat generation mechanisms responsible for temperature variations in the regions where the damage is localized, and in addition, use of mathematical methods in the post-processing of the data obtained from the tests, looking to increase the efficiency of detection and characterization of damage.