Description:

Lightweight, high strength composite materials are used extensively in aviation and automotive parts. The 5 x 5 micron AFM topography (top right image) of a fibre composite in a polymer matrix clearly identifies the fibre distribution. Force modulation imaging (top right image) determines the local modulus differences. The bright contrast fibres have substantially higher contrast than the surrounding polymer matrix. Zooming in on the fibre/composite interface (bottom image) reveals a local reduction in modulus of the matrix around the perimeter of the fibre indicating a potential weakness in the fibre/matrix interface. The AFM data is compared with tensile testing experiments to correlate the local interface properties with the bulk composite modulus  (Copyright NPL).

Industry Sectors:
Automotive/Aerospace, Medical Technologies, Nanomaterials

Techniques:
Atomic Force Microscopy

Keywords:
stiffness, modulus, composites