CLUSTERS, PLASTICITY AND DAMAGE - A MISSING LINK

The properties of polyphase materials cannot always be described by av erage values characterizing the distribution of the second phase in th e matrix. The internal stresses, the recrystallization behaviour in co mposites and the fracture mechanisms all depend on the distribution of the particles in space. This contribution will focus on the effect of clusters on mechanical properties of two-phase materials. We will giv e some examples of situations in which the existence of clusters may i nfluence the properties of the materials: the case of internal stresse s in composites, the kinetics of recrystallization, and the damage pro pagation in a cellular solid such as the trabecular bone. Rather than making a detailed analysis of each case, they will be taken as example s of the possible modelling techniques to be applied to this effect of clusters.