NDT of Composite Materials - Problems and Solutions 1. NDT as a Source of Information

This introductory paper is devoted to highlighting distinctive features of the non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques used in the study of polymers and composite materials. More than 30 years experience at the Institute of Polymer Mechanics has shown that success in the application of NDT to advanced materials depends crucially on the optimal choice of the technique and on the skill of the operator. The reason for a special approach to testing of these materials is that a number of specific features characterise composite structures. Analysis of these features, recommendations to increase the reliability and the accuracy of the NDT methods and a search for new testing techniques are the major areas of research carried out in the Institute. The following topics will be covered: 1. Non-destructive testing as a source of information. 2. Relaxation spectrometry for the structural study of polymers and polymer composites. 3. Modelling of dielectric relaxation phenomena.