Defining the thermal features of sub-surface reinforcing fibres in non-polluting thermo–acoustic insulating panels: A numerical–thermographic–segmentation approach

Natural fibres present ozone-friendly solutions in the field of construction. The attenuation of the sound and heat losses is an important feature in such type of materials above all, when used in non-woven fabrics and fibre-reinforced composites. Hemp fibres show robust insulation performance; this research work should be considered beneficial to the development of a non-destructive thermographic methodology, which can address the thermal barrier (typically applied on multi-layer panel) effects. The intent is to assess the integrity of the sub-surface reinforcing glass fibres; such integrity state will help confer the rigidity and the resistance to mechanical stresses. The testing proposed in this study can be further developed in a laboratory right after the manufacturing process of similar type of components. The testing needs preliminary numerical simulations to help guide the selection of the appropriate pre-and post-processing algorithms combined with or with-out segmentation operators. A set of numerical and experimental tests were performed through controlled thermal stimulation while recording the thermal responses. The study also highlights the advantages, disadvantages, and future development of the presented technique and methodologies.