Heat flow thermography for non-destructive testing of composites and natural materials: An application-oriented overview

Heat flow thermography is a non-destructive testing method that offers a number of advantages. These include the relatively quick inspection of larger areas, the ease of interpretation of the results and the absence of potential hazards such as ionizing radiation. The disadvantage is, depending on the application, its limited penetration depth. The present article explains the physical principles of the process and provides examples of concrete realizations, mainly in the field of composites and natural materials. One focus is on the evaluation of the acquired thermal images and image series, since they often contain more information than is visible at first glance, and a suitable post-processing of the data is the key to a successful application