Application of DEM to predict the elastic behavior of particulate composite materials

• Published in: Granular matter Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 459 - 473
• Main Authors: Haddad, H., Leclerc, W., Guessasma, M., Pélegris, C., Ferguen, N., Bellenger, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Airborne particulates; Beamforming; Complex Fluids and Microfluidics; Composite materials; Discrete element method; Elastic constants; Elasticity; Elastoplasticity; Engineering Fluid Dynamics; Engineering Thermodynamics; Finite element method; Foundations; Geoengineering; Heat and Mass Transfer; Hydraulics; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Materials Science; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Original Paper; Particulate composites; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Soft and Granular Matter; Stresses; Discrete element method; Elastic properties; Equivalent Von-Mises stress field; Numerical homogenization; Composite material
• ISSN: 1434-5021; 1434-7636
• DOI: 10.1007/s10035-015-0574-0

The present paper deals with a novel method to predict the effective elastic behavior of heterogeneous continuous materials using discrete element method. This work uses a numerical approach based on a hybrid particulate-lattice model in which discrete elements are linked by cohesive forces through beam elements. Mechanical tests, carried out on particulate composite material, are performed in terms of effective elastic properties and stress fields which exhibit a good adequation with other numerical and analytical approaches such as the finite element method and the Fast Fourier Transform based method. As an example, the proposed approach is performed to predict the elastic properties of a ceramic/resin composite as well as the local effects by means of equivalent Von Mises stress.