Thermographic Non-Destructive Techniques for Evaluating Surface Coating in Ceramic Matrix Composites ISiComp®: A Capability Study

Abstract

In this work, thermographic techniques have been demonstrated to be effective non-destructive testing (NDT) solutions for assessing the surface coating of components made from Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) ISiComp®. Developed by the Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA) and PETROCERAMICS, ISiComp is an innovative CMC development of the Thermal Protection System for the ESA Space Rider Re-entry Module. The study aimed to identify the condition of the coating and categorize the samples as coated, uncoated or oxidized using different sources and methods of thermal excitation such us Pulsed Thermography, Lock-in Thermography and Pulsed Lock-in Thermography. The statistical analysis of the results shows that thermographic techniques are capable of distinguishing the three different coating conditions at a significance level of $\alpha=0.05$.