Nondestructive Inspection of Agglomeration Defects in Polymer-Based Nano-Composites Using Laser Interferometry Method

Mass production of nanocomposites is not possible without proper methods for non-destructive health inspection of these products. It is obvious that the aggregation and agglomeration of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix have a great effect on the quality of the nanocomposite piece. In this article, the accumulation of carbon nanotubes in nanocomposite parts has been investigated with laser interferometry method. This non-contact method is based on the reflection of the laser beam from the sample surface. In this regard, samples with carbon nanotube accumulation defects were made in the epoxy matrix. Also, thermal loading by a halogen lamp has been used for non-contact excitation of these samples. The results prove the capability and feasibility of detecting the nano particle accumulations using the laser interferometric method. Moreover, an acceptable band for both adjustable parameters of the process including loading size and shear distance were found.