APPROACHES TO POROSITY ASSESSMENT IN COMPOSITES

As solid laminate structure becomes increasingly common in primary aircraft structure, the need for accurate assessment of porosity has increased. Porosity is a known detrimental condition that affects the performance of these materials under load. This paper will summarize a number of novel approaches evaluated by Boeing Commercial Airplanes with the intent of simplifying porosity assessment. Not all approaches were successful but each led to an improved understanding of the porosity assessment problem. Some promising methods are identified that may result in future improvements.