• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.391-399
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• 2003

The thermo-acoustic emission (AE) technique has been applied for nondestructive characterization of composite laminates subjected to cryogenic cooling. Thermo-AE events during heating and cooling cycles showed a Kaiser effect. An analysis of the thermo-AE behavior obtained during the 1st heating period suggested a method for determining the stress-free temperature of the composite laminates. Three different thermo-AE types classified by a short-time Fourier transform of AE signals enabled to offer a nondestructive estimation of the cryogenic damages of the composites, in that the different thermo-AE types corresponded to secondary microfracturing in the matrix contacting between crack surfaces and some abrasive contact between broken fiber ends during thermal load cycles.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2001

An investigation on nondestructive evaluation of thermal stress-nduced damage in the composite laminates (3mm in thickness and $[+45_6/-45_6]_s$ lay-up angles) has been performed using the thermo-acoustic emission technique. Reduction of thermo-AE events due to repetitive thermal load cycles showed a Kaiser effect. An analysis of the thermo-AE behavior determined the stress free temperature of composite laminates. Fiber fracture and matrix cracks were observed using the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and ultrasonic C-sean. Short-Time Fourier Transform of thermo-AE signals offered the time-frequency characteristics which might classily the thermo-AE as three different types to estimate the damage processes of the composites.

• Composites Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2003

Utilizing a thermo-acoustic emission (AE) technique, a study on detection and evaluation of microfractures in cross-ply laminate composites was performed. Fiber breakages and matrix fractures formed by a cryogenic cooling at $-191^{\circ}C$ were observed with ultrasonic C-scan, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Those microfractures were monitored in a non-destructive in-situ state as three different types of thermo-AE signals classified on the basis of Fast-Fourier Transform and Short-Time Fourier Transform. Thus, it was concluded that real-time estimation of microfracture processes being formed during cryogenic cooling could be accomplished by monitoring such different types of thermo-AEs in each time-stage and then by analyzing thermo-AE behaviors for the respective AE types on the basis of the AE signal analysis results obtained during thermal heating and cooling load cycles.

• Composites Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2004

Vacuum hot pressing has been used for the development of titanium metal matrix composites using foil-fiber-foil technique. Subsequent micro-mechanical characteristics of the composites are then investigated by means of several experimental methods. The levels of consolidation, together with mechanism based failure processes of the materials have been analyzed by employing a thermo-acoustic emission technique. As shown by the results, fiber strength degradation occurs during the consolidation, and particularly residual stresses results from the thermal expansion mismatch between fiber and matrix materials during cooling process are incorporated in the changes of mechanical properties of the finished products. In industrial applications, both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the material-mechanical characteristics are particularly important, and therefore must be included in process development. The present paper represents a methodology by which this can be achieved.