This paper, documented as arXiv hal-04601480v1, introduces a novel non-destructive method for assessing the degradation of polymer composites. This technique primarily relies on acoustic measurements conducted within the ultrasonic range.
To evaluate the method, samples of polymer composites were exposed to accelerated aging processes in a climatic chamber, simulating varying temperature and humidity conditions. Material degradation was carefully monitored by observing changes in two key acoustic parameters: the velocity of ultrasonic waves and the attenuation coefficient.
The findings reveal a significant and clear correlation between these measured acoustic parameters and the overall degree of material degradation. This correlation enables a quantitative assessment of the polymer composite's current condition.
Consequently, the proposed non-destructive acoustic method represents a highly promising tool for enhancing quality control procedures and improving the accuracy of lifetime prediction for polymer composite structures.