Carbon Fiber Microstructure,

Electron and optical microscopy, X-ray, and other characterization methods have been utilized extensively in the development of models describing the morphology of carbon fibers. In a new approach which complements these techniques, carbon fibers have been plasma etched, making their salient structural characteristics highly visible when viewed in a scanning electron microscope. Major differences are seen in the etch patterns, and these can be correlated with the precursor fiber and with the carbon fiber moduli. These patterns give evidence of the crystalline order in the fiber cross section and of gross structural variations, such as flaws. Author-PL