Estimation method of fiber length distribution in short fiber reinforced composites by considering overlapping of fibers
Suzuki Hiroshi
Abstract:The object of this paper is the establishment of the method to estimate fiber length distribution in a short fiber reinforced composite without extracting fibers. In the previous paper, the author has already led the method to estimate a relationship between fiber length in the composite and partial visible length of the fibers observed from the composite surface in assuming that the matrix is transparent. But, this method has some weak points. At the first half of this paper, the proposed method is refined, and the weak points are dissolved. At the latter half, the partial visible length is measured by using a scanning acoustic microscope from the surface of the short fiber reinforced plastics, and fiber length distribution in the composite is estimated from the obtained partial visible length distribution. Furthermore, the fibers are extracted from the composite inside, and the fiber length is measured by using an optical microscope directly. The fiber length distribution estimated from the refined method is compared with that measured directly and then the cause of the difference between two distributions is argued. Key Words:Short fiber reinforced composite, Probabilistic method, Fiber length, Visible length, Scanning acoustic microscope