Investigation of PLA/Jute composites with infrared thermography

Nowadays, the growing environmental awareness is driving attention towards the development of more ecological and friendly materials. The attention of the present paper is focused on the investigation of thermoplastic composites involving a polylactic acid (PLA) matrix reinforced with jute fibres. Both matrix and fibres are natural renewable materials, which well match ecological requirements. However, they have till now received scarce attention and their characteristics are still not completely understood. Conversely, understanding the material characteristics and performance is important in view of its proper applications use. Infrared thermography, thanks to its non-contact character, can be used to monitor the entire existence of a product, from its manufacturing process to completion as well as in-service life. In the present work an infrared imaging device is used with a twofold function: oas non-destructive testing system (lockin thermography) to discover either manufacturing imperfections as well any damage occurred under load (bending, or impact); oas monitoring instrument to visualize thermo-elastic/plastic effects developing under load, like cyclic bending tests and impact tests, which can be exploited to assess the material performance.