Characterisation of fibres and composites by Raman microspectrometry

Raman spectrometry is a unique technique providing information on the structure, short-range order and stress of solid through the intensity, polarization, wavenumber and bandwidth of the Raman peaks. The paper provides a comprehensive study on Raman spectroscopy versatility as a fast. and non-destructive tool for the understanding and imaging of phase organisation as well for the prediction of the mechanical properties (tensile strength, the Young's modulus (E)) of fibres. Selection of the laser exciting wavelength gives micron lateral resolution and reduces the in-depth penetration to similar to<100nm, allowing the analysis of fibre surface, coatings and interphases. Stress-induced Raman shifts can be used to determine the stress/strain in any phase a few micron in scale. Quantitative results follow from wavenumber calibrations.