USE OF PHOTOELASTICITY TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF PARTICLE DISTRIBUTION ON STRESS IN COMPOSITES

The photoelastic effect is used as an analogue to study the deformatio n in metal matrix composites. A mathematical model that predicts the m isfit stress and inhomogeneity effect due to a cluster of reinforcemen t-rich phases is developed and the results of this model are in agreem ent with experimental results obtained from the photoelastic analogue. The use of this analogue is intended to complement existing computer simulations and analytical solutions. It has the advantage of being ab le to study large numbers of reinforcing particles. The preliminary re sults indicate that the analysis can be extended to the three-dimensio nal situation.