Image Analysis Method for Estimating 2-D Fibre Orientation and Fibre Length in Discontinuous Fibre Reinforced Composites

Abstract

In discontinuous fibre reinforced composites (DFRC), the fibre length and orientation influence greatly the ultimate physical and mechanical properties of the material. A number of attempts dealing with methods for measuring fibre orientation are reported in the literature. These methods however, are unable to characterize fibre length. Fibre length may be affected by the type of processing involved. This study reports on the use of image analysis techniques for determining both fibre orientation and length. To verify the accuracy of the methods used, simulated images with known characteristics are used.