Liquid Crystals for Nondestructive Evaluation

This document presents a review of the use of liquid crystals in nondestructive evaluation and provides an introduction to the literature. The text begins with an historical background and then discusses the three classes of liquid crystals: the smectic, nematic, a cholesteric or twisted nematic. The properties of liquid crystals are summarized, including optical, thermal, mixtures of different compounds, and dynamic properties. Applications presented include temperature measurement and mapping, thermal mapping, surface flaw and leak detection, bond and composite testing, flaw testing with nematics, liquid crystals in fatigue, flow, and fracture tests, fluid flow measurements, acoustic detection and imaging, electronics components and assemblies, RF, microwave, and infrared imaging. The book closes with a bibliography of 84 entries.