Moisture Measurement of Clay Material Using Infrared Imaging

Knowing the amount of existing water in clay-like material not only provides the means to predict the drying time more accurately, but also can help in better process control reducing time and energy. In addition, it is possible to predict occurrence of defects such as crack and distortion.
The current research; employs infrared imaging technology to record temperature changes during a controlled drying process of several clay-like material samples. Transient heat transfer and equations of semi-finite object are used to study the moisture and its changes during drying process. Comparing the experimental data with analytical values shows that the semi-finite model and thermal imaging can be used to evaluate the moisture content of clay-like objects. Thermography; being a non-contact digital method is significantly quicker than traditional mechanical methods, hence; it can be employed to visualize the distribution of moisture on the surface of the objects without mechanical intervention.