FE investigation of the effect of particle distribution on the uniaxial stress-strain behaviour of particulate reinforced metal-matrix composites

A multi-particle 2D finite element model of a 20% particulate reinforced me tal-matrix composite was developed on a statistical basis faking into accou nt the correlations between the position, size and orientation of the ceram ic particles in the matrix. The stress-strain curves in tension and compres sion given by the clustered multi-particle model are compared with the curv es obtained from one-particle unit cell simulations. It is shown that clust ering of particles increases the plastic strain accumulated in the matrix l eading to a higher strain hardening and thus to a higher flow stress. The s ize of the representative volume element (RVE) should be at least equal to the correlation length of the geometrically relevant correlation functions, which was similar to 2.4 times larger than the average interparticle dista nce for the experimentally studied case. Reasonable agreement is obtained b etween computed residual strains and data available in the literature. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.