Fundamentals of Fiber Orientation

Charles L. Tucker III

Polymers reinforced with discontinuous fibers have a wide range of important applications such as in automotive parts and business machines. The flow that occurs during processing of these materials creates a complex but repeatable pattern of fiber orientation, which plays a key role in achieving the desirable mechanical properties these materials can offer. The primary focus of this unique book is fi ber orientation: how to describe it mathematically, how to measure it experimentally, and how to predict it using models available in commercial software. The book also covers the description, measurement, and modeling of fiber length, another important variable that can be predicted by commercial software. The connection between fiber orientation and mechanical properties is explained, as is the relationship between fiber orientation and rheological properties in the fluid state....