FIBER TESTING APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

An apparatus and method for performing a tensile test on fibers utilize a hook (24) over which a fiber (22) is draped and a clamp (26) for clamping the opposite ends of the fiber (22) together. In another embodiment, two clamps (94, 96) are used instead of a hook (24) and clamp (26). During a testing operation, the hook (24) and clamp (26) are moved relative to one another to tension the fiber (22), and monitoring instruments (58, 114) are used to monitor at least one characteristic of the fiber (22) as it is being tensioned. The tension forces exerted upon the fiber are monitored with a piezoelectric transducer (58), and cross-sectional characteristics of the fiber are monitored with a light source (112) and detector (114) system which directs a light beam (116) toward the fiber (22) and measures the light scattered by the fiber (22). Multiple fiber data are obtained by testing a number of fibers from a sample and superimposing graphical representations of tensile characteristics of the individual fibers upon one another to obtain a composite representation which constitutes multiple fiber data.