Issue 27

Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 27 (2014); Rivista Ufficiale del Gruppo Italiano Frattura

Infrared Thermographic Analysis of Materials

t is a great pleasure for me to present a special issue of Fracture and Structural Integrity aimed to research carried out in infrared thermographic analysis of materials. Many authors have tried to estimate the fatigue limits of material using short time methods in the last 20 years. An important improvement took place when researchers began using internal damping parameters and energy dissipated parameters. All started in 1984 when Caltabiano et al. began using a thermograph to investigate field surface temperatures during fatigue tests and found out that for fatigue stresses above, the fatigue limit - the zone in which the specimen should have failed - was coincident with the first increase in temperature. In 1985, based on such result, Curti and Risitano proposed a rapid method of determining the fatigue limit and in 1986 Risitano and La Rosa used a very limited number of specimens to determine the fatigue limit with a step load procedure. During the following years, many others authors have proposed procedures to improve this methodology. Today the field of research for the determination of the mechanical properties of materials (especially fatigue) with thermal infrared energy methods counts about 3000 papers and 300 authors. This field of research is constantly increasing and becoming more attractive for the results obtained by researchers around the world. Being aware of the above and considering that I have been a student of the School of Catania, research team pioneer in this field, I have proposed to the IGF this special issue with international contributions of high value. I seize the occasion to thank all of you that have contributed to the issuance of this number of Fracture and Structural Integrity and that have allowed the best success of this number with each of their papers. Thank you Giacomo Risitano I

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