What type of materials can pose challenges during Eddy Current Testing?

The correct answer is that non-conductive materials pose challenges during Eddy Current Testing. Eddy current testing relies on the interaction of electromagnetic fields with conductive materials. The technique generates eddy currents in conductive materials, which allows for the detection of flaws, thickness measurements, and other material properties.

Non-conductive materials, such as plastics or ceramics, do not allow the flow of electric current and therefore cannot produce eddy currents. As a result, eddy current testing is ineffective on these materials since the fundamental principle of the technique relies on the presence of conductivity to generate a measurable response.

In contrast, uniformly smooth materials and rigid conductive metals lend themselves well to eddy current testing as they facilitate the generation and interpretation of eddy currents. Materials with low thermal conductivity may present specific measurement challenges in terms of temperature impacts on conductivity, but they are still conductive. Therefore, they do not pose the same fundamental limitations to the testing as non-conductive materials do.