Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Optical anisotropy of carbon fibres

Nature volume 279, pages 142–145 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

TECHNIQUES based on the interference of polarised light have been used to investigate double refraction in transparent materials due to the structural anisotropy of crystalline solids and strain birefringence in amorphous solids1. Forrest and Marsh have discussed2,3 reflection methods and have used them to examine the anisotropy of the opaque solids carbons and cokes. As graphite is a uniaxial crystal with an optical c-axis perpendicular to the layer planes, polarised light incident on the layer-planes is not affected so that a polished section with this orientation appears isotropic. However, polarised light reflected by the prismatic faces is rotated and a polished section in this orientation shows optical anisotropy. By inserting a one wavelength retarder plate at 45° in front of the analyser of a polarising reflection-microscope with crossed polariser and analyser, interference colours are produced from which the orientation of the surface crystallites can be determined.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Javornickij, J. Photoplasticity (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1974).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Forrest, R. A. & Marsh, H. Carbon 15, 349–350 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Forrest, R. A. & Marsh, H. Proc. 5th Carbon & Graphite Conf. 1, 328–333 (1978).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Watt, W. & Johnson, W. Proc. 3rd Carbon & Graphite Conf. (1970).

  5. Watt, W. & Johnson, W. Nature 257, 210–212 (1975).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Love, G., Cox, M. & Scott, V. D. Mater. Res. Bull. 10, 8 (1975).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Knibbs, R. H. J. Microsc. 94, 273–281 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Barnet, F. R. & Norr, M. K. Carbon 11, 281–288 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Bennett, S. C. & Johnson, D. J. Carbon (in the press).

  10. Kamiya, K. & Inagaki, M. Carbon 9, 287–289 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kipling, J. J. & Shooter, P. V. Carbon 4, 1–4 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Watt, W. & Johnson, W. CASI Trans. 2, 81–84 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Department, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, Hampshire, UK

    W. JOHNSON

Authors
  1. W. JOHNSON
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

JOHNSON, W. Optical anisotropy of carbon fibres. Nature 279, 142–145 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/279142a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/279142a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing