Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2006 · 19 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceMaterials CharacterizationOptical MaterialsSpectroscopyFiber Optic MaterialsFiber OpticsFire Damage AssessmentOptical SpectroscopyTerahertz PhotonicsTerahertz SpectroscopyCarbon Fiber MaterialsCarbon MaterialsPolarization ChangesTerahertz DetectionTerahertz ImagingTerahertz Material CharacterizationTerahertz Time-domain SpectroscopyTime-domain Terahertz Spectroscopy
We apply THz imaging technology to evaluate fire damage to a variety of carbon fiber composite samples. The majority of carbon fiber materials have polarization-dependent reflectivities in the THz frequency range, and we show how the polarization dependence changes versus the burn damage level. Additionally, time domain information acquired through a THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) system provides further information with which to characterize the damage. The technology is discussed in terms of nondestructive testing applications to the defense and aerospace industries.