Visualizing Polymer Damage Using Hyperspectral Imaging

Abstract

Silicone rubbers (SIRs) are common industrial materials which are often used for electrical insulation including weather sheds on non-ceramic insulators (NCIs). While SIRs are typically resilient to outside environments, aging can damage SIRs’ favorable properties such as hydrophobicity and electrical resistance. Detecting SIR aging and damage, however, can be difficult, especially in service. In this study we used hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and previously investigated aging methods as a proof of concept to show how HSI may be used to detect various types of aging damage in different SIR materials. The spectral signature changes in four different SIRs subjected to four different in-service aging environments all occurred between 400––650 nm. Therefore, remote sensing of NCIs using HSI could concentrate on bands below 700 nm to successfully detect in service SIR damage.

A non-destructive, autoencoder-based approach to detecting defects and contamination in reusable food packaging

“…Similarly, hyperspectral imaging has proven useful for the early detection of mold in food products, as shown by Farrugia et al Farrugia et al (2021) . As Bleszynski et al Bleszynski et al (2020) indicated, hyperspectral imaging can be utilized to visualize polymer damage that cannot be observed in normal color images. Medus et al Medus et al (2021) employed convolutional neural networks (CNNs) on hyperspectral images to detect contaminants and defects in food packaging.…”

Detection of weathering effects and mineral additive content of LDPE composites using hyperspectral imaging

“…Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) can perform as an alternative method for evaluating the decomposition of polymeric materials. By combining visualization and spectroscopy techniques, HSI technology makes it possible to monitor the spectral characteristics of a sample over the entire area [11][12][13][14]. The hyperspectral image contains hundreds of different spectral responses of the same region, which provides detailed information about the spectral properties of an object and makes it possible to achieve an accurate object identification and discrimination.…”

Colour stability of wood coatings pigmented with natural indigo from Isatis tinctoria after accelerated weathering

“…FTIR spectrometers are also used for the characterisation of surfaces and quality control of materials 23,24 . However, hyperspectral imaging is a relatively new technology, which divides the spectrum of reflected light into multiple channels 25,26 . It has been used in various medical applications, as well as the characterisation of polymer materials, assessment of the environmental state of crops and vegetation, in dyeing recipe predictions, and even in assessments of the condition of paint in civil structures 25,27,28,29,30 …”