1. Investigation of glass–fibre reinforced polymers by polarisation-sensitive, ultra-high resolution optical coherence tomography: Internal structures, defects and stress
- Author
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Karin Wiesauer, Erich Götzinger, Michael Pircher, Christoph K. Hitzenberger, Reinhold Oster, and David Stifter
- Subjects
Materials science ,Birefringence ,genetic structures ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Glass fiber ,Resolution (electron density) ,General Engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,Fibre-reinforced plastic ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,01 natural sciences ,eye diseases ,010309 optics ,Stress (mechanics) ,Optical coherence tomography ,0103 physical sciences ,Ceramics and Composites ,medicine ,Fracture (geology) ,sense organs ,Composite material ,0210 nano-technology ,Anisotropy - Abstract
In this paper, we report on optical coherence tomography (OCT) for the investigation of glass–fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) materials. OCT, a contactless and non-destructive imaging technique, provides depth-resolved information on internal structures within semi-transparent materials. In our study, we apply a highly advanced OCT technique: we use a transversal scanning, ultra-high resolution, polarisation-sensitive (UHR-PS)-OCT for the analysis of various GFRP samples. UHR-imaging with resolution in the micron range is shown to provide information on the scale of single fibres. PS-OCT, an extension of classical OCT, is sensitive to birefringence and consequently to anisotropies and stress within a material. Our system is therefore applied to the investigation of defects located within the fibre layers of loaded and damaged GFRP samples. Imaging of matrix fracture, cracks, and internal stress, demonstrates the high potential of UHR-PS-OCT for the investigation of damage in GFRP materials, with special emphasis on detecting the early stages of defect formation.
- Published
- 2007
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