Book excerpt: Over the last 50 years, great progress has been made in developing artificial fibre-reinforced composite materials, generally using filaments with microscopic diameters. A wide range of reinforcement forms, from random arrays to fully aligned, can be used for commercial applications, with the microstructure being a critical factor in realising the required properties in a material. This is the first up-to-date review of how to apply advanced microstructural characterisation techniques to fibre-reinforced composites. Each chapter is designed to offer both a stand-alone introduction to its topic and detailed referencing for follow-up research. With contributions from experts from around the world, the book will be an essential reference for materials scientists and research workers in industry and academia alike. Comprehensive and up-to-date review of the microstructural features of composites Covers a wide range of microstructure characterisation techniques