LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE OF CONTINUOUS FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITES - ANALYSIS, MODEL EXPERIMENT AND PARAMETRIC STUDY

The light transmittance of unidirectionally aligned continuous fibre-r einforced composites at visible wavelengths were studied, Analysis was made of the light transmittance of a single-fibre composite, and the results were extended to the analysis of a multiple-fibre composite. A model experiment was carried out using a continuous SiO2-fibre-reinfo rced epoxy matrix composite. The experimentally obtained light transmi ttance of the composite perpendicular to the fibre axis was compared w ith the developed theoretical analysis and good agreement was obtained . Numerical simulations were carried out to obtain the higher light tr ansmittance of the composite. The effects of firstly the refractive in dex mismatch between the fibre and the matrix, secondly the fibre radi us and thirdly, the volume fraction on the transmittance are discussed using the developed analytical model. Key guidelines for obtaining hi gh light transmittance of fibre-reinforced composites are discussed us ing the analytical results.