Analysis of the compaction behavior of textile reinforcements in low-resolution in-situ CT scans via machine-learning and descriptor-based methods
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
A detailed understanding of material structure across multiple scales is essential for predictive modeling of textile-reinforced composites. Nesting—characterized by the interlocking of adjacent fabric layers through local interpenetration and misalignment of yarns—plays a critical role in defining mechanical properties such as stiffness, permeability, and damage tolerance. This study presents a framework to quantify nesting behavior in dry textile reinforcements under compaction using low-resolution computed tomography (CT). In-situ compaction experiments were conducted on various stacking configurations, with CT scans acquired at 20.22 µm per voxel resolution. A tailored 3D-UNet enabled semantic segmentation of matrix, weft, and fill phases across compaction stages corresponding to fiber volume contents of 50 % to 60 %. The model achieved a minimum mean Intersection-over-Union of 0.822 and an F1 score of 0.902. Spatial structure was subsequently analyzed using the two-point correlation function S2, allowing for probabilistic extraction of average layer thickness and nesting degree. The results show strong agreement with micrograph-based validation. This methodology provides a robust approach for extracting key geometrical features from industrially relevant CT data and establishes a foundation for reverse modeling and descriptor-based structural analysis of composite preforms.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 100662 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Composites Part C: Open Access |
| Volume | 18 |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Oct 2025 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0002-6817-1020/work/194822312 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0003-1370-064X/work/194823679 |
| ORCID | /0000-0002-2280-7580/work/194824809 |
| Scopus | 105019083380 |
| WOS | 001605524700001 |
Keywords
Keywords
- In-situ computer tomography, Textile reinforced composites, Semantic segmentation, Machine learning, Descriptor analysis