Structural Analysis of Polymer Composites Using Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

The structural analysis of nylon/graphene oxide (NY/GO) and polyetherblockamide/ trisilinolphenyl-polyhederal oligomeric silsesquioxane (PEBA/t-POSS) composites were performed using high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). This optical technology revealed both cross-sectional, as well as sub-layer depth information of sample. The non-destructive real-time imaging demonstrated the nature of defects in the composites. The thickness and location of each defect point in the composites were measured using A-scan analysis on the SD-OCT images. The cross-sectional and volumetric images clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of SD-OCT for composite research, as well as the for industrial quality assurance of polymer materials.