Incorporation of microstructural information into models of two-phase materials

Abstract

A method for determining periodic microstructures that are statistically similar to more complex, random, two-phase microstructures is presented. The utility of the method is that finite element simulations can be carried out on representative unit cells that are directly obtained from microstructural observations. Numerical experiments with discontinuously reinforced composites are performed where the elastic behavior of periodic and random microstructures are compared. The results show that the complex microstructures and the corresponding periodic structures consistently display similar elastic behavior if the unit cell contains a large enough number of reinforcements.