ABSTRACT
Thermal testing is used mostly for detection of flaws in materials in which the local differences in thermal properties lead to measurable differences in temperature across a surface. Thermal inspection methods give rapid results and are often noncontact, although contact methods are also used. They are particularly useful for detection of subsurface flaws. Generally, these methods are better at detecting flaws in thin objects rather than thick objects, and are not so good at detecting deep-lying flaws. These methods can be applied to complex shapes and are mostly useful for single-sided inspections. Thermal inspection methods are particularly useful for composites or other structures made of dissimilar materials, where the variations in thermal properties are easily detectable.
