Synchrotron radiation diffraction enhanced imaging of carbon fiber composites

Carbon fiber composites have been wildly used in aerospace industry due to the excellent performance. However, the research on defect evolution law and the performance analysis have been limited by the lack of effective tools. Two kinds of computed tomography (CT) slice images of carbon fiber composites, x-ray attenuation contrast and phase contrast, were obtained with the diffraction enhancement imaging (DEI) device at Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF). The structure details and the defects in the sample could be clearly distinguished from the image. Moreover, phase contrast CT provides higher contrast and can identify the defects difficult to be recognized in attenuation contrast CT. DEI provides a method for in-situ observation of the carbon fiber composites and would be a valuable tool for the development of carbon fiber composite material.