Research on Acoustic Emission in Composite Materials: From Fundamental to Practical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to the exploration of acoustic emission (AE) phenomena within composite materials, bridging fundamental understanding with practical engineering applications. Acoustic emission testing has emerged as a pivotal nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique, offering significant potential in the monitoring and characterization of damage initiation and progression within composite structures. AE, resulting from the release of transient elastic waves during material deformation and fracture processes, provides invaluable insights into damage mechanisms, fracture modes, and material integrity.

Composite materials, known for their exceptional strength-to-weight ratios and adaptability, present unique challenges in damage detection and structural health assessment due to their complex microstructure and anisotropic behavior. Therefore, accurate interpretation of AE data becomes critical for predicting the onset and evolution of various failure modes, such as matrix cracking, fiber breakage, delamination, and interface debonding.

This Special Issue seeks original research contributions that advance both theoretical and experimental aspects of AE in composite materials, enhancing the reliability of diagnostics and prognostics in real-world applications. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Fundamental mechanisms of AE generation in composite materials;
• Innovative methodologies for AE signal analysis and damage characterization;
• Correlation between AE parameters and specific fracture phenomena;
• Case studies illustrating practical AE applications in aerospace, automotive, civil, and renewable energy sectors;
• Integration of AE techniques with other NDE methods for improved damage assessment;
• Machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches for AE data interpretation and structural health monitoring;
• Numerical and analytical modeling of AE events in composites.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this issue, which will significantly impact the future of acoustic emission applications in composite materials research and engineering practice.

Dr. Tomaz Kek
Dr. Nathalie Godin
Guest Editors

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