Real-time quantification of damage in structural materials during mechanical testing

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Non-Destructive Testing

Background:

• Composite materials are crucial in various industries.
• Accurate damage assessment during mechanical testing is vital for safety and performance.
• Existing methods for damage quantification can be time-consuming and less informative.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel methodology for quantifying damage severity in composite components during mechanical testing.
• To demonstrate the effectiveness of digital image correlation (DIC) and image processing for monitoring strain field evolution.
• To present a new approach for visualizing and interpreting damage distribution and timing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized digital image correlation (DIC) combined with image processing techniques.
• Monitored the rate of strain field changes during mechanical tests.
• Applied the methodology to ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) under tension at high temperatures and polymer matrix composites (PMCs) with fibre-waviness defects under bending.

Main Results:

• Changes in the strain field proved more effective in identifying the proportional limit than load-extension diagrams.
• Developed spatio-temporal damage maps for clear visualization of damage location, morphology, and occurrence.
• Demonstrated the method's applicability across different composite types and loading conditions.

Conclusions:

• The proposed methodology offers a more sensitive and efficient way to quantify composite damage severity.
• Spatio-temporal damage maps significantly enhance the interpretation of complex material test data.
• This approach has the potential to reduce data analysis time and increase knowledge extraction from material tests.