Abstract
A laboratory instrument has been developed that provides rapid and simultaneous measurements of length and diameter characteristics for individual fibers. The mea .suring device is based on the use of a CCD camera, which determines the transverse dimension on successive sections along the fiber. In this way, the detailed variation of the diameter along the fiber is measured, thus giving a full profile of the fiber. Relevant parameters are computed from these profiles: fiber length, mean diameter (along a single fiber), coefficient of variation of diameter (along a single fiber), position of minimum diameter along the fiber, etc. The principle of the instrument is described . and examples of measured profiles are given. The performance of the instrument is also described. Finally, potential applications of the method are discussed, which can be particularly interesting for the study of natural fibers like wool, but also in other fields like dermatology or cosmetology where the dimensional characteristics of human hair are important.
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