Steel Fiber Reinforced Polyester Composites
Steel fibre reinforced polyester composite was manufactured using vacuum bagging process. A representative section of the composite was carefully extracted from the manufactured panels, prepared using metallographic procedures and visualised under optical microscope. Hexagonal arrangment of steel fibres inside the matrix seems to be lost during composite processing as a result of applied pressure. This could affect the overall fiber volume fraction achieved in the composite material.
Flax Fiber Reinforced LPET Composites
Fiber matrix assemblies were obtained by Filament Winding technique which was later consolidated into composite panels using a combination of vacuum and press consolidation process. Optical microscopic image of such composite shows that fibers the flax yarns are well dispersed within the LPET matrix.
Flax Fiber from Textile Yarn
Figure is that of a flax fiber taken from the textile yarn under polarised microscope. The bright regions on the fiber are local misalignments of cellulose microfibrils in the cell wall.