V Zal - Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Qom University of Technology, Qom, Iran
M Yasaee - Senior Lecturer, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK

In this paper, an empirical model is developed to predict short nickel coated carbon fibres alignment insideepoxy resin in the presence of magnetic field. The model, which is an exponential function, is fitted to experimental dataunder different conditions including three alignment parameters, field strength, fibre length and fibre weight fraction.The model outputs a parameter α for different conditions which is used in combination with theoretical models, resultsin the average angle of fibre. The model shows a very good compatibility with experimental results especially in lowconcentrations of fibres and also overcomes the two significant limitations of current light transfer method, includingsample thickness and resin transparency limitations.

empirical model, epoxy composites, fibre alignment, short fibres