Analysis of 3D random chopped fiber reinforced composites using FEM and random sequential adsorption

• Published in: Computational materials science Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 450 - 461
• Main Authors: Pan, Yi, Iorga, Lucian, Pelegri, Assimina A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.09.2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Elastic properties; Elasticity, elastic constants; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element method; Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter; Mechanical properties of solids; Physics; Random chopped fiber composites; Random sequential adsorption; Random sequential adsorption; Finite element method; 02.70.Dh; Elastic properties; 02.70.Rr; Random chopped fiber composites; Representative volume element; Random phase; Fiber reinforced material; Periodicity; Elasticity; Boundary conditions; Staple fiber; Elastic material; Micromechanics; Composite materials; Adsorption; 02.70.Dh; 02.70.Rr; Random chopped fiber composites; Random sequential adsorption; Elastic properties; Finite element method; Continuum mechanics
• ISSN: 0927-0256; 1879-0801
• DOI: 10.1016/j.commatsci.2007.12.016

The overall elastic properties of fiber reinforced composite are of primary importance for practical applications. In order to obtain the overall elastic properties, a homogenization procedure based on continuum micro-mechanics is usually applied to a representative volume element (RVE) representative of the whole composite. In this study, we first employ a modified random sequential adsorption algorithm to generate the complex geometry of a random fiber composite. Second, we investigate the effect of the interaction between two over-crossing fibers on the overall elastic properties of the composite. Third, we evaluate the overall elastic material properties of the composite using the finite element method for continuum micro-mechanical analysis.