Computational optimization of the vortex manufacturing of advanced materials

A key component to the success of many modem structural designs is the use of materials with microscopically tailored overall properties. One method t o obtain desired macroscopic material behavior is by adding microscopic sec ond phase particles to a base material. The macroscopic behavior of the mod ified base material is the aggregate response of the particles suspended in the matrix binder. In this regard, a relatively standard manufacturing pro cess is the vortex method, whereby loose particulate additives are stirred into a vortex of molten matrix material. In this work a computational strat egy is developed to simulate and accelerate the associated trial and error development of tailored dispersed-type materials manufactured with the vort ex method. An algorithm is developed to determine optimal geometrical and m echanical properties of microscopic particulate additives in order to modif y a homogeneous base matrix sufficiently enough to deliver a prespecified a ggregate response. Consistent with what can be manufactured by the vortex m ethod, microstructures composed of randomly distributed aggregates of parti cles suspended in a binding matrix are considered. A variety of theoretical issues involved in this process are discussed, and three-dimensional examp les involving the finite element method are presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.