Delamination and Porosity in Composites and Adhesives Using Solid and Particulate Powdered Aerogel

NASA's Langley Research Center has developed a method that introduces solids and particulates — specifically aerogels — into composites or adhesives while they are being constructed. These additives survive as the structure is cured to serve as a testbed and standard. Once cured, the solid or particulate additive will behave as a delamination or porosity defect and will be indistinguishable from real delamination or porosity when inspected with popular nondestructive evaluation techniques such as ultrasound or thermography.