An active infrared thermography method for fiber orientation assessment of fiber-reinforced composite materials

Fiber orientation in composite materials is an important feature since the arrangement or orientation of the fibers relative to one another has a significant influence on the strength and other properties of fiber reinforced composites. In this paper we present a method to assess the fiber orientation on the surface of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. More specifically, a diode-laser beam is used to locally heat a small spot on the surface of the sample. Observation of the heat pattern in the infrared spectrum enables the assessment of the fiber orientation. Different samples and different regions on the surface of the samples are tested in order to estimate the precision of the method.