Chemical bath deposition was used to prepare antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3) thin films, of different particle size and with noticeably different band gaps, onto glass substrates. The structural investigations revealed that the as-deposited films are amorphous in nature. The particle size determined from the intercept method using SEM micrographs increases from 20 nm to 100 nm as the duration of the deposition increases. The optical absorption edge shifted from the bulk energy gap of 2.2 to 3.8 eV on decreasing the particle size. This phenomenon is interpreted in terms of the quantum size effect of electrons and holes in Sb2S3 nanoparticles. The optical constants of the Sb2S3 thick films (589 nm) were determined from the interference maxima and minima in the wavelength range 400-2500 nm using the Swanepole method. The Wemple-DiDmenico single-oscillator model parametrizes the refractive index.

Long fibre-reinforced thermoplastic or long fibre thermoplastic (LFT) composites possess superior specific modulus and strength, excellent impact resistance, and other advantages such as ease of processability, recyclability, and excellent corrosion resistance. These advantages make LFT composites one of the most advanced lightweight engineering materials and enable their increasing use in various applications. This review paper summarises the research and development work that has been conducted on LFT composites since their initial development. Different aspects of LFTs, such as process development, fibre orientation distribution (FOD), fibre length distribution (FLD), and their effects on the mechanical properties of LFT composites are described. The characterisation of the FOD and FLD in the LFT composites using advanced imaging technology such as highresolution 3D micro-CT scanning technique is summarised. Research and development of LFT hybridisation and LFT additives are also discussed. Finally, conclusions are made and the future outlook of LFT composites is given.

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