Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Journal of Microscopy
Publication Date
Page Numbers
23 to 33
Volume
248
Issue
1
Abstract
A complete description of sample preparation used to determine three-dimensional fiber orientation from optical micrographs of glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites is presented. Considerations for elimination of irregularities in the elliptical footprints, contrast enhancement between fibers and surrounding polymer matrix, controlled-etching that allow the identification of small shadows where fiber recedes into the matrix, and topographical reconstruction of the elliptical footprint are described in the procedure. The use of these considerations has provided high-quality optical micrographs employed in the evaluation of fiber orientation for thermoplastic composites using the method of ellipses.
