Numerical study on materials with micro-structure

The development of composite materials has extended material property combinations and ranges, and this area is still continuing to be industrialized. Composites are divided into two categories, namely: matrix-particulate composites and bi-continuous composites. In matrix-particulate composites, the matrix and reinforcement particles/fibres are clearly identified, while in bi-continuous composites, the matrix and particulate (or fibre) phases cannot be distinguished clearly. Past research has shown the improvements in mechanical properties of the bi-continuous composites such as increased elastic modulus and strength which is directly related to the phase morphology, as compared to traditionally discontinuous two-phase composites. In this paper, a two-phase bi-continuous composite is proposed to be modelled using a finite element scheme with random distribution strategy. The effects of the effective elastic constants will be investigated with varying refinement level, and with varying domain sizes of a certain phase, to see if there is potential for further development of such composites. Two kinds of bi-continuous composites will be investigated, and they are 1) Epoxy/Aluminium, and 2) Epoxy/Alumina. The phases in the bi-continuous composites are chosen such that they have a Young’s modulus ratio of 20 (Epoxy/Aluminium) and 100 (Epoxy/Alumina) between the phases. The results will then be verified with the well-known Hashin-Shtrikman bounds (H-S bounds).Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering