Fundamentals of Fiber Orientation

Polymers reinforced with discontinuous fibers have wide-ranging 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 fiber orientation: how to describe it mathematically, how to measure it experimentally, and how to predict it using the models used in commercial software. It 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. 'Fundamentals of Fiber Orientation' focuses on the models used in current engineering practice, but also discusses a few topics from current research that could transition to engineering practice soon.Aimed at principally practicing engineers, this book teaches readers the fundamentals they need to understand data, set up meaningful simulations, and interpret results. Engineering graduate students who are embarking on research in this area will also find this book to be a valuable resource. Contents:IntroductionDescribing Fiber Orientation and Fiber LengthMeasuring Fiber Orientation and LengthFlow Orientation of Single FibersFlow Orientation of Groups of FibersSuspension Rheology and Flow-Orientation CouplingFiber Length Degradation during ProcessingMechanical Properties and OrientationCurrent and Future TrendsAppendices