Microwave N on-Destructive Testing and Evaluation NON-DESTRUCTIVE EVALUATION SERIES Volume 4 Non-destructive evaluation now has a central place in modem technology both as a means of evaluating materials and products as they are manufactured and for confirmation of fitness for purpose while they are in use. This series provides in-depth coverage of the wide range of techniques that are now available for the non-destructive evaluation of materials. Each volume will contain material that is relevant to final year undergraduates in Engineering, Materials Science and Physics in addition to post graduate students, experienced research workers, and practising engineers. In some cases they will be written with taught courses in mind, while other texts will be for the qualified engineer or scientist who wishes to become familiar with a new topic at research level. Series editor Professor W Lord Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Iowa State University Iowa USA Volume 1: Halmshaw: Industrial Radiology: Theory and Practice ISBN: 0-412-62780-9 Volume 2: Blitz/Simpson: Ultrasonic Methods of Non-destructive Testing ISBN: 0-412-60470-1 Volume 3: Blitz: Electrical and Magnetic Methods of Non-destructive Testing ISBN: 0-412-79150-1 Microwave Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation by REZAZOUGHI Applied Microwave Nondestructive Testing Laboratory (amntl) Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Colorado State University Ft. Collins, Colorado U.S.A. KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS DORDRECHTI BOSTON I LONDON A C.l.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN 978-90-481-4015-2 ISBN 978-94-015-1303-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-1303-6 Published by Kluwer Academic Publishcrs, P.O. Box 17, 3300 AA Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 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To Molouk and Valiollah Contents Foreword Xl Colour Plates Xlll 1 Introduction 1 1.1 General remarks 1 1.2 Microwave frequency bands 6 1.3 Required prior knowledge 7 1.4 Organization of chapters 8 1.5 Acknowledgment 10 References 1 1 2 Material characterization 12 2.1 Introduction 12 2.2 Dielectric properties 13 2.3 Carbon black loaded rubber 18 2.3.1 Measurement procedure 19 2.3.2 Dielectric properties of rubber compound 23 constituents 2.3.3 Cured rubber dielectric property dependence 24 on carbon black 2.3.4 Detection of curatives in uncured rubber 25 2.3.5 Measurement accuracy 30 2.4 Resin binder 32 2.4.1 Dielectric properties of fresh and 12-day old 32 resin binder 2.4.2 Resin loaded fiberglass 35 2.5 Porosity estimation in polymer composites 38 2.5.1 Sample preparation 39 2.6 Rust dielectric properties 43 2.6.1 Measurement procedure 44 2.6.2 Rust specimen description and measured 45 dielectric properties 2.7 Dielectric mixing models 46 2.7.1 Empirical dielectric mixing model for 48 cured carbon black loaded rubber 2.7.2 Empirical dielectric mixing model for 49 microballoon-filled epoxy resin 2.8 Summary 49 References 53 Contents Yill 3 Layered dielectric composite evaluation 57 3.1 Introduction 57 3.2 What may be accomplished 58 3.3 Field regions 59 3.3.1 Far-field approach 60 3.3.2 Near-field approach 60 3.4 Electromagnetic modeling of the interaction of an 62 open-ended rectangular waveguide with multi-layered dielectric composites 3.4.1 Theoretical formulation 63 3.4.2 Verification of derivations 70 3.4.3 Thickness determination of dielectric sheets 71 backed by conducting plates 3.4.4 Stratified dielectric composite inspection 82 3.4.5 Measurement optimization of frequency 90 and standoff distance 3.4.6 Detection of rust under dielectric coatings 105 3.4.7 Influence of backgap distance on 105 measurement sensitivity 3.5 Summary 118 References 120 4 Surface crack detection 123 4.1 Introduction 123 4.2 Open-ended waveguide approach 124 4.3 Theoretical analysis for exposed cracks 129 4.3.1 Formulation of the generalized 131 scattering matrix 4.3.2 Application of the boundary conditions 133 4.3.3 Application of the method of moments 134 4.3.4 Generalized scattering matrix 136 4.3.5 Convergence 137 4.3.6 Choice of higher-order modes 140 4.3.7 Results 141 4.4 Higher-order mode approach 143 4.4. 1 Results 147 4.5 Typical measurement results 154 4.5.1 Influence of crack width and depth 155 on characteristic signal 4.5.2 Influence of detector location on 158 characteristic signal 4.5.3 Influence of frequency on characteristic signal 160 4.5.4 Filled cracks 162 4.5.5 Covered cracks 168 4.5.6 Remote crack detection (influence of liftoff) 175 4.6 Crack sizing 179 4.6.1 Crack width or opening estimation 179 Contents IX 4.6.2 Crack depth estimation 183 4.6.3 Swept frequency technique 183 4.6.4 Influence of crack length on the phase 187 of reflection coefficient 4.6.5 Crack length estimation 189 4.6.6 Experimental results 189 4.7 Tip location detennination 193 4.8 Detection of stress-induced fatigue cracks 200 4.9 Summary 202 References 206 5 Near-field measurement techniques and applications 209 5.1 Introduction 209 5.2 Measurement techniques 210 5.2.1 Calibrated microwave measurement techniques 210 5.2.2 Uncalibrated microwave measurement techniques 213 5.3 Measurement procedures 21 7 5.3.1 Frequency and standoff distance optimization 217 5.4 Near-field imaging 220 5.4.1 Inclusions in glass reinforced polymer 221 epoxy 5.4.2 Flat bottom holes in glass reinforced 224 polymer epoxy 5.4.3 Disbond in thick sandwich composite 225 5.4.4 Impact damage in thick sandwich composite 228 5.4.5 Localized porosity 230 5.4.6 Resin variation in low-density fiberglass 232 composites 5.4.7 Rust under paint 233 5.4.8 Rust under laminate composites 236 5.5 Issues associated with near-field measurements 238 and imaging References 242 6 Other developments and future 246 6.1 Introduction 246 6.2 Testing and evaluation of cement based materials 246 6.3 Open-ended coaxial probes for layered 252 composite inspection 6.4 Fatigue surface crack detection and evaluation 253 in metals using open-ended coaxial probes 6.5 Surface inspection of rolled steel 253 6.6 Barriers and future 254 References 255 Index 258 Foreword Microwave and millimeter-wave non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) is generally understood to mean using high-frequency electromagnetic energy to inspect and characterize materials and structures. In spite of possessing some distinct advantages in certain applications compared to other NDT&E techniques, microwave NDT&E has only found limited practical application during the past 45 years. These advantages include lack of a need for contact between the sensor and the object being inspected, the ability to penetrate dielectric materials, and superior sensitivity to certain material constituents and flaws. One factor contributing to this minimal acceptance by the NDT &E community has been a generally poor understanding in this community of the theory and practice that underlie the technology. This situation exists partly because of a paucity of microwave NDT&E textbook and reference material. Some chapters, reviews, and books aimed at filling this need have been published in the past but, for the most part, this material is based on the use of older microwave technology. However, during the past ten years great strides have been made in ternlS of the cost, size, and ease of use of microwave components. In addition, recent advances in modeling and measurement techniques have expanded the range of applications for microwave NDT&E. Such applications include inspecting modern materials such as composites, detecting and characterizing surface flaws, and evaluating the compressive strength of cement structures. These advances have created an urgent need for up-to-date textbook material on this subject. Professor Zoughi, his colleagues, and his students have been at the forefront of these recent advances in microwave NDT &E. Therefore, I believe that this textbook will become a primary reference in the field and it should be exceedingly useful to those who wish to learn more about current theory and practice in microwave NDT&E. I strongly recommend it to both students and practitioners. Alfred J. Bahr, Ph.D. Principal Scientist SRI International Menlo Park. California USA Colour Plates