Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) researchers are in the process of creating an infrared measuring method to examine the thermal properties as well as composite materials that can resist fire. This infrared technology can be used in the aerospace engineering field as well as in other areas where the composite materials are required to resist fire and survive in high temperatures.
Credit: UC3M
Measuring the impacts of fire on composite materials is difficult because the main problem is in the temperature of the fire. The flames, when reaching more than 1000 ºC, can complicate the exact temperature of the object. Similarly, the high condensation of gases, including CO2 and H2O, can make the process difficult by not showing clear images of the specimen getting into the fire. Therefore, UC3M researchers have developed the infrared measuring method to solve the above mentioned problem. Fernando López, a professor in UC3M’s Physics Department, explained that the researchers used an infrared camera to measure the temperature and the image processing that determines the measurement.
The researchers pointed out that this infrared method of measurement can be performed instantly and under rigid conditions without directly contacting the material. This method helps to measure the actual temperature of the specimen swiftly and precisely.
The UC3M and the Airbus Systems Laboratory collaborated together on this research, which has been released in the Measurement Science and Technology journal. This new development can be applied in the aeronautical industry to identify the effects of fire on the composite materials utilized in airplanes.
Currently, these researchers from the UC3M’s Laboratorio del Infrarrojo (LIR – Infrared Laboratory) are investigating on a new method to measure the thermodynamic parameters of materials through infrared examination of the image. Furthermore, they are examining new ways to identify hidden subsurface stains that can be caused due to fire or other objects.