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Challenges in Micro-CT Characterization of Composites

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Micro-computed Tomography (micro-CT) in Medicine and Engineering

Abstract

Studies related to defect investigation of composite materials with x-ray-based micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) mostly focus on the void presence inside materials and its impact on the mechanical behavior of composites. This chapter focuses on the localization and the quantitative investigation of processing related anomalies like pore formation, sticking, and spreading of tows during a vacuum infusion process of glass fiber unidirectional non-crimp fabric (NCF) of four different yarn numbers but with constant areal weight. A case study is presented in order to provide information on purchased tow and resin properties and the nature of manufacturing process. Micro-CT analysis was employed to measure/evaluate this phenomenon nondestructively. Related post-processing parameters, namely, closed pore number, structure separation, structure thickness, and connectivity available in CT-An software are used in order to analyze the microstructure of manufactured composite specimens and their relationship to NCF composite material properties as well as to link these to the anomalies due to manufacturing process within the sample’s mesostructure. The limiting factors and challenges related to micro-CT scanning and 3D image analysis are also presented. Micro-CT analysis results demonstrate that the anomalies regarding resin infusion manufacturing process can be quantitatively evaluated with this non-destructive evaluation technique. The internal microstructure of composites can be quantified with selected post-processing parameters, and the ply-by-ply analysis reveals information about the movements of plies during resin flow-based impregnation. These results may lead to further studies where the relationship between stiffness and strength of composite materials and micro-CT analysis outputs could be interrelated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey

    Güllü Kiziltaş, Melih Papila, Bengisu Yilmaz & Kaan Bilge

  2. Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Sabanci University, Tuzla, İstanbul, Turkey

    Güllü Kiziltaş

  3. Ultrasound Research Institute, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Bengisu Yilmaz

Authors
  1. Güllü Kiziltaş
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  2. Melih Papila
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  3. Bengisu Yilmaz
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  4. Kaan Bilge
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Correspondence to Güllü Kiziltaş .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

    Kaan Orhan

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Kiziltaş, G., Papila, M., Yilmaz, B., Bilge, K. (2020). Challenges in Micro-CT Characterization of Composites. In: Orhan, K. (eds) Micro-computed Tomography (micro-CT) in Medicine and Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16641-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16641-0_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16640-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-16641-0

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