The Terahertz-based non-destructive evaluation of military-designated materials

With regards to composite materials, the need for noninvasive evaluation of their structures, components, or systems they form continues to rise. It relates to the fact that composites, due to their two- phased (at least) composition, are vulnerable to different damages arising during their manufacturing or their use. Thus, there is a need to non-destructively monitor such materials especially when they are used in safety applications such as e.g., bulletproof vests and their damage may pose a real threat. In the frame of this work, the use of the newly developed non-destructive testing (NDT) method based on the application of Terahertz (THz) radiation was presented. For this purpose, the series of samples without defects and with a defect in their interior was investigated. The samples were prepared as the soft insert of a bulletproof vest and one of them had intentionally introduced defect in the form of aramid fibers textile soaked in salty water. The results obtained using the THz imaging method were compared to the ones obtained using the conventional X-ray method. Overall, the potential of THz transmission measurements was demonstrated and a selected application using THz-based system was presented.