Feasibility study of a digital speckle pattern interferometry and bending test combined technique to investigate coating adhesion

This paper presents a feasibility study to assess whether digital speckle pattern interferometry could be used as a possible technique to investigate the adhesive performance of coatings. The approach is based on the measurement of the deflections produced by a pre-notched coated specimen subjected to a four-point bending test. When the bending load is increased, a delamination between the coating and the substrate is propagated with its length depending on the adhesion strength. Experiments carried out with specimens having simulated delaminations confirm that digital speckle pattern interferometry can be used to estimate the delamination length.