Representative volume element analysis for the evaluation of effective material properties of fiber and particle loaded composites with different shaped inclusions

Abstract

In this paper effective material properties are predicted for composites with different shape and size of inclusions such as cylindrical fibers, spherical and elliptical particles and cylindrical fibers with hemispherical ends. The analysis is based on a numerical homogenization technique using finite element method in connection with three-dimensional representative volume element models. Investigations are carried out to study the influence of various parameters like volume fraction, aspect ratio and particle distribution. Results are discussed and compared.