A simple, fluorescence-based imaging system was developed for identifying regions of thermal damage in polymer-matrix composites (PMCs). PMCs have important applications where low weight and high mechanical strength are needed. One concern in the aerospace industry is the tendency of some PMC materials to become irreversibly damaged when exposed to high temperatures. Traditional nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are capable of detecting physical flaws, such as cracks and delaminations, but have not proven effective for detecting initial heat damage, which occurs on a molecular scale. Spectroscopic techniques such as laser-induced fluorescence provide an attractive means for detecting thermal damage on large, irregularly shaped surfaces. This paper describes instrumentation capable of rapidly detecting thermal damage in graphite/epoxy components
