Rapid Low Cost Evaluation of Fiber Coatings

In Phase II SOC will produce an instrument for the rapid and low cost evaluation of thin-film coated fibers used in the production of Ceramic Matrix Composite materials. The system will be composed of an integrated hyperspectral imaging system for wide area evaluation of coated fibers with an FTIR instrument for chemical evaluation. These two technologies provide a complimentary means for evaluating the quality of thin-films on fibers and also the fibers themselves. Among the parameters measured by the system will be thickness of the coating layers. In addition, the FTIR can be used to analytically identify impurities in the materials that can be verified through changes in the complex index of refraction measured by the hyperspectral imager. Since the bulk quality of the materials is also reflected in the hyperspectral imaging data, it may also be possible to use the device as a simple ‘goodness’ monitor based upon comparison to a library of quality material spectra. Surface Optics Corporation (SOC) is teaming up with a composite manufacturer, COI Ceramics, Inc., an ATK Space Systems and Sensors Affiliate represented by Andy Szweda and Curtis Hunkins ((858) 621-5742), and military engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney represented by Gregory Hildebrand ((860) 565-4003).