Microwave Nondestructive Testing of Nonmetallic Pipes: An Overview of the Major Developments

Non-metallic and composite components [1]–[3] are rapidly becoming a significant part of various industrial sectors including energy, aerospace, naval, sport, automotive, urban infrastructure, etc. Attractive characteristics of composite components include immunity to corrosion, low cost, low weight, and in some applications their flexural resilience to seismic or dynamic loads. These superior characteristics are leading to the replacement of conventional metallic pipes with composite non-metallic pipes (NMPs) made of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), glass-reinforced epoxy resin (GRE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), reinforced rubber expansion joints (REJs), and carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP).