Method to Quantify the Surface Roughness of Circular Reinforcing Fibres

Abstract:

The properties of fibre-reinforced composites depend on the interface between the matrix and the fibre. The surface of the fibres plays a key role in the load transmission. In this article, a method based on scanning electron microscopy images of fibre cross sections is introduced to quantify the surface roughness. By utilising an image editing software to get a digital profile of the fibre contour, the arithmetic roughness R_a of a carbon fibre was calculated. The method was tested on a C-fibre with a diameter of 7 microns and compared with the images of an atomic force microscopy (AFM). The method allows a comparison of different types of fibres as well as an investigation regarding the influence of fibre treatments.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volumes 825-826)
• Pages: 922-927
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.825-826.922
• Online since: July 2015
• Authors: Maik Trautmann*, Daisy Nestler, Bernhard Wielage, Guntram Wagner
• Keywords: AFM, Carbon Fibre, SEM, Surface Roughness

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