Automated reconstruction of curvilinear fibres from 3D datasets acquired by X-ray microtomography

The characterization of fibrous structures is important in both composites and textiles research for relating to the bulk properties of the material. However, the microscopic nature of the fibres and their high densities make them very difficult to characterize. Many techniques have been developed for the measurement and characterization of fibrous structures but they tend to be restricted to measurements on the sample surface or within physical cross-sections. X-ray microtomography can be used to non-destructively probe the internal structure of a range of fibrous materials, providing large amounts of 3D data. A technique has been developed for tracing fibres within 3D datasets acquired by X-ray microtomography and this has been applied to a glass fibre reinforced composite and also a non-woven textile sample. The 3D fibrous structures of both samples were successfully reconstructed and their fibre orientation distributions calculated. This technique enables novel characterizations, such as the through-thickness variation of fibre orientation in non-wovens.