Ultrasonic Inspection of Thin Walled Composite Tubes

Fiber reinforced composite materials are being used in an increasingly wide range of structural applications. However, many types of composite laminates are extremely susceptible to impact damage [1,2]. Relatively low energy impacts may induce significant internal damage, generally in the form of matrix cracks and delaminations, which are not accompanied by visual evidence [3–5]. This damage has been shown to significantly reduce the strength, stiffness and fatigue life of compression loaded, flat composite laminates [1,2,4–7], as well as the strength of thin walled composite tubes [8]. Residual strength and life are closely related to the nature and extent of damage [6,7]; thus, the capability to perform detailed nondestructive evaluation of damage represents a critical component in the damage tolerant design of composite structures