Investigating structure-property relationships in a carbon-fiber composite

Characterizing composite materials is a challenging task. Understanding the nucleation processes is critical toward engineering against failure, but traditional bulk testing methods are insufficient to describe this process. ZEISS presents how correlative microscopy is a viable conduit into the digital material testing approach. A carbon fiber reinforced composite hockey stick was used as the subject of the characterization study, though this same technique can apply to any variety of materials, from glass composites to metal matrix composites, as well as to monolithic materials. Correlative microscopy enabled a robust imaging-to-simulation workflow, producing a model that is available for further digital modification and analysis. Through implementation of this procedure in a regular basis, material development efficiencies may be enhanced, leading to high-performance products in a reduced amount of time.