PROCEDIMIENTO NO DESTRUCTIVO PARA DETERMINAR EL ESTADO FISI-CO DE MATERIALES CONTENIDOS EN UN RECIPIENTE HERMETICAMENTE CERRADO

摘要

A non-destructive thermal imaging method for detecting the presence of a liquid such as water within a sealed container (10). The process includes application of a low amplitude heat pulse to an exterior surface area of the container, terminating the heat input and quickly mapping the resulting surface temperatures. The various mapped temperature values can be compared with those known to be normal for the container material and substances in contact. The mapped temperature values show up in different shades of light or darkness that denote different physical substances. The different substances can be determined by direct observation or by comparison with known standards. In the past, destructive testing methods have been used which were slow and resulted in exposed solid waste that must be re-contained prior to disposal. The non-destructive method permits quick and accurate detection of the presence of free liquid in sealed containers.