Statistical description of the internal geometry of a polymer textile composite using micro-computed tomography

The recently proposed reference period collation method, which quantifies the internal geometry of textile composites, is extended to laminated structures. Experimental data are collected for a seven-ply 2/2 twill woven carbon-epoxy composite produced by resin transfer moulding using X-ray micro-computed tomography. The data of the woven reinforcement are afterwards decomposed into non-stochastic periodic trends and non-periodic stochastic fluctuations. Each ply has systematic patterns, with exception of the in-plane centroid coordinate, that are correlated with the cross-over locations. Of the various parameters, the in-plane component of the centroid position is subjected to the largest variability.