FIBER CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE-ANALYSIS USING IMAGE-PROCESSING TECHNIQUES

Quantitative characterization of fiber cross sections has attracted co nsiderable interest, since cross-sectional size and shape have an impo rtant impact on the physical and mechanical properties of fibers, as w ell as the performance of end-use products. We present one application of automated measurement using image processing techniques that extra ct basic shape features from fiber cross sections. Cross-sectional sha pes are characterized with the aid of geometric and Fourier descriptor s. Geometric descriptors measure attributes such as area, roundness, a nd ellipticity. Fourier descriptors are derived from the Fourier serie s for the cumulative angular function of the cross-sectional boundary and are used to characterize shape complexity and other geometric attr ibutes. Shape reconstruction based on Fourier coefficients is also dis cussed. We present the results of shape analysis for a wide variety of fiber types.