NDE OF COMPOSITE-MATERIALS USING ULTRASONIC OBLIQUE INSONIFICATION

The analysis of reflected ultrasonic waves induced by oblique insonifi cation of composite materials is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool in providing information about defects and material properties. The theoretical modeling of the wave behavior for tone-burst and pulse s has been very successful in accurately corroborating the experimenta l results. The data repeatability and accuracy make oblique insonifica tion methods easy to standardize for practical applications. Recent th eoretical and experimental results and the progress in using frequency - and time-domain data are discussed with an emphasis on the applicati on to graphite/epoxy composites.