Inhomogeneity of the first and second statistical moments of stresses inside the heterogeneities of random structure matrix composites

In this paper linearly thermoelastic composite media are treated, which consist of a homogeneous matrix containing a statistically homogeneous random set of heterogeneities. Effective properties (such as compliance, thermal expansion, stored energy) as well as the first statistical moments of stresses in the phases are estimated for the general case of nonhomogeneity of the thermoelastic inclusion properties. The micromechanical approach is based on the generalization of the “multiparticle effective field” method (MEFM, see for references Buryachenko, Appl. Mech. Rev. (2001), 54, 1–47), previously proposed for the estimation of stress field averages in the phases. The method exploits as a background the new general integral equation proposed by the author before and makes it possible to abandon the use of the central concept of classical micromechanics such as effective field hypothesis as well as their satellite hypothesis of “ellipsoidal symmetry”. The implicit recursion representations of the effective thermoelastic properties and stress concentration factor are expressed through some building blocks described by numerical solutions for both the one and two inclusions inside the infinite medium subjected to the inhomogeneous effective fields evaluated from subsequent self-consistent estimations. One also estimates the inhomogeneous statistical moments of local stress fields which are extremely useful for understanding the evolution of nonlinear phenomena such as plasticity, creep, and damage. Just at some additional assumptions (such as an effective field hypothesis) the involved tensors can be expressed through the Green function, Eshelby tensor and external Eshelby tensor. These estimated inhomogeneities of effective fields lead to the detection of fundamentally new effects for the local stresses inside the heterogeneities.     

Differential schemes for the elastic characterisation of dispersions of randomly oriented ellipsoids

The paper deals with the elastic characterisation of dispersions of randomly oriented ellipsoids: we start from the theory of strongly diluted mixtures and successively we generalise it with a differential scheme. The micro-mechanical averaging inside the composite material is carried out by means of explicit results which allows us to obtain closed-form expressions for the macroscopic or equivalent elastic moduli of the overall composite materials. This micromechanical technique has been explicitely developed for describing embeddings of randomly oriented not spherical objects. In particular, this study has been applied to characterise media with different shapes of the inclusions (spheres, cylinders and planar inhomogeneities) and for special media involved in the mixture definition (voids or rigid particles): an accurate analysis of all these cases has been studied yielding a set of relations describing several composite materials of great technological interest. The differential effective medium scheme (developed for generally shaped ellipsoids) extends such results to higher values of the volume fraction of the inhomogeneities embedded in the mixture. For instance, the analytical study of the differential scheme for porous materials (with ellipsoidal zero stiffness voids) reveals a universal behaviour of the effective Poisson ratio for high values of the porosity. This means that Poisson ratio at high porosity assumes characteristic values depending only on the shape of the inclusions and not on the elastic response of the matrix.     

Influence of Nonlinear Local Properties on Effective Transport

The assumption of constant local coefficients is one of the first restrictions in most of the smoothing theories for transport in porous media. In this paper we present a formal analysis of the effects produced by nonconstant local transport coefficients on the nonlinear behavior of the effective transport properties. In particular, we use the volume averaging method to study heat transport in a two-component system considering the local thermal conductivities as analytical functions of the temperature. Within this approach we obtain a general expression for the effective nonlinear thermal conductivity dependence on the averaged temperature gradient. The important result is that the effective conductivity is obtained by a linearly bounded problem (the closure problem), just as if the conductivities were constants, by replacing the constant conductivities by the actual temperature dependent ones. As an example, we model the porous medium as cylindrical inclusions in a periodic array and solve the closure problem for the case of the one-equation model. We analyze the values of the second derivative of the thermal conductivity with respect to the temperature to establish the range where the nonlinear corrections must be considered to correctly describe the effective transport.     

Scattering of a longitudinal wave by a circular crack in a fluid-saturated porous medium

Physical properties of many natural and man-made materials can be modelled using the concept of poroelasticity. Some porous materials, in addition to the network of pores, contain larger inhomogeneities such as inclusions, cavities, fractures or cracks. A common method of detecting such inhomogeneities is based on the use of elastic wave scattering. We consider interaction of a normally incident time-harmonic longitudinal plane wave with a circular crack imbedded in a porous medium governed by Biot’s equations of dynamic poroelasticity. The problem is formulated in cylindrical co-ordinates as a system of dual integral equations for the Hankel transform of the wave field, which is then reduced to a single Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. It is found that the scattering that takes place is predominantly due to wave induced fluid flow between the pores and the crack. The scattering magnitude depends on the size of the crack relative to the slow wave wavelength and has it’s maximum value when they are of the same order.     

Eshelby's problem of non-elliptical inclusions

The Eshelby problem consists in determining the strain field of an infinite linearly elastic homogeneous medium due to a uniform eigenstrain prescribed over a subdomain, called inclusion, of the medium. The salient feature of Eshelby's solution for an ellipsoidal inclusion is that the strain tensor field inside the latter is uniform. This uniformity has the important consequence that the solution to the fundamental problem of determination of the strain field in an infinite linearly elastic homogeneous medium containing an embedded ellipsoidal inhomogeneity and subjected to remote uniform loading can be readily deduced from Eshelby's solution for an ellipsoidal inclusion upon imposing appropriate uniform eigenstrains. Based on this result, most of the existing micromechanics schemes dedicated to estimating the effective properties of inhomogeneous materials have been nevertheless applied to a number of materials of practical interest where inhomogeneities are in reality non-ellipsoidal. Aiming to examine the validity of the ellipsoidal approximation of inhomogeneities underlying various micromechanics schemes, we first derive a new boundary integral expression for calculating Eshelby's tensor field (ETF) in the context of two-dimensional isotropic elasticity. The simple and compact structure of the new boundary integral expression leads us to obtain the explicit expressions of ETF and its average for a wide variety of non-elliptical inclusions including arbitrary polygonal ones and those characterized by the finite Laurent series. In light of these new analytical results, we show that: (i) the elliptical approximation to the average of ETF is valid for a convex non-elliptical inclusion but becomes inacceptable for a non-convex non-elliptical inclusion; (ii) in general, the Eshelby tensor field inside a non-elliptical inclusion is quite non-uniform and cannot be replaced by its average; (iii) the substitution of the generalized Eshelby tensor involved in various micromechanics schemes by the average Eshelby tensor for non-elliptical inhomogeneities is in general inadmissible.     

含有随机夹杂非均匀体的有效弹性模量

在对含有随机夹杂的非均匀体求有效弹性模量时,一般多根据Eshelby的等效夹杂法,但由于该方法没有充分考虑非均匀体内部的微结构,所以其理论具有一定的局限性。本文认为Kunin的微结构理论与Eshelby的等效夹杂法相比更具一般性,因而本文采用了文[9]中一些合理的思想,摒弃了其中不合理的假设,并且建立了一种新的理论模型.最后,本文针对球夹杂的情况给出了非均匀体有效弹性模量依赖于夹杂体积份数的关系,并将该结果与文[10]中的结果进行了比较.     

Effective thermal conductivity of partially saturated porous rocks

The present work is concerned with the determination of the effective thermal conductivity of porous rocks or rock-like composites composed by multiple solid constituents, in partially saturated conditions. Based on microstructure observations, a two-step homogenization scheme is developed: the first step for the solid constituents only, and the second step for the (already homogenized) solid matrix and pores. Several homogenization schemes (dilute, Mori–Tanaka, the effective field method and Ponte Castañeda–Willis technique) are presented and compared in this context. Such methods are allowing: (i) to incorporate in the modellization the physical parameters (mineralogy, morphology) influencing the effective properties of the considered material, and the saturation degree of the porous phase; (ii) to account for interaction effects between matrix and inhomogeneities; (iii) to consider different spatial distributions of inclusions (spherical, ellipsoïdal). An orientation distribution function (ODF) permits simultaneously to incorporate in the modelling the transverse isotropy of pore systems. Appearing as homogeneous at the macroscopic scale, it is showed that the effective conductivity depends on the physical properties of all subsidiary phases (microscopic inhomogeneities). By considering the solution of a single ellipsoïdal inhomogeneity in the homogenization problem it is possible to observe the significant influence of the geometry, shape and spatial distribution of inhomogeneities on the effective thermal conductivity and its dependence with the saturation degree of liquid phase. The predictive capacities of the two-step homogenization method are evaluated by comparison with experimental results obtained for an argillite.     

A self-consistent statistical mechanics approach for determining effective elastic properties of composites

A self-consistent statistical mechanics approach for determining the effective elastic properties of composites with random structure is developed. The problem is reduced to the model of a single inclusion with a non-homogeneous elastic neighbourhood in a medium with effective elastic properties. The inhomogeneous elastic properties and size of neighbourhood are defined by randomness of the geometry, random size of inclusions and random elastic properties of the inclusions. Numerical results are given for the effective elastic properties of a composite with hollow spherical inclusions.     

Effect of pore shape on effective porothermoelastic properties of isotropic rocks

The present work is devoted to the determination of the macroscopic poroelastic and porothermoelastic properties of geomaterials or rock-like composites constituted by an isotropic matrix with embedded ellipsoidal inhomogeneities and/or pores randomly oriented. By considering the solution of a single ellipsoidal inhomogeneity in the homogenization problem it is possible to observe the significant influence of the shape of inhomogeneities on the effective porothermoelastic properties. In the particular case of microscopic and macroscopic isotropic behaviors, a closed form solution based on analytical integrate of the Eshelby solution for the single ellipsoidal inhomogeneity can be obtained for the randomly oriented distribution. This result completes the well known solutions in the limiting cases of spherical and penny shape inhomogeneities. Based on recent works on porous rock-like composites such as shales or argillites, an application of the developed solution to a two-level microporomechanics model is presented. The microporosity in homogenized at the first level, and multiple solid mineral phase inclusions are added at the second level. The overall porothermoelastic coefficients are estimated in the particular context of heterogeneous solid matrix. Numerical results are presented for data representative of isotropic rock-like composites.     

Prediction of the effective elastic properties of spheroplastics by the generalized self-consistent method

The problem of predicting the effective elastic properties of composites with prescribed random location and radius variation in spherical inclusions is solved using the generalized self-consistent method. The problem is reduced to the solution of the averaged boundary-value problem of the theory of elasticity for a single inclusion with an inhomogeneous transition layer in a medium with desired effective elastic properties. A numerical analysis of the effective properties of a composite with rigid spherical inclusions and a composite with spherical pores is carried out. The results are compared with the known solution for the periodic structure and with the solutions obtained by the standard self-consistent methods. Perm’ State Technical University, Perm’ 614600. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 186–190, May–June, 1999.     

Self-consistent field method in the problem about the effective properties of an elastic composite

This paper is devoted to the calculation of effective elastic properties of a medium containing a random field of ellipsoidal inhomogeneities. It is assumed that the centers of the inclusions (the inhomogeneities) form a random spatial lattice, i.e., the field of inhomogeneities considered is strongly correlated. The interaction between the inhomogeneities is taken into account within the frame-work of the self-consistent field approximation. It hence turns out that the symmetry of the tensor of the elastic properties of the medium is determined by the symmetry of the elastic properties of the inclusion matrix, as well as by the symmetry of the spatial lattice formed by the mathematical expectations of the centers of the inclusions.     

Percolation with a limiting gradient in a medium with random inhomogeneities

The coverage of a medium by percolation and the effective permeability of a medium with stagnant zones are determined. It is shown that effective permeability is a function of external conditions, particularly the average pressure gradient. Three-, two-, and one-dimensional flows are discussed. The theory of overshoots of random functions and fields beyond a prescribed level [1, 2] is used for the investigation. Overshoots of elements of the percolation field in media with random inhomogeneities are studied. Overshoots of energy being dissipated in a volume are discussed in particular; this permits an approximate determination of the coverage of an inhomogeneous porous medium by migration during percolation with a limiting gradient, i.e., in the case of formation of stagnant zones chaotically disseminated in the flow region.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 159–165, September–October, 1970.The authors thank V. M. Entov for discussing the article and useful comments.     

Local effective thermoelastic properties of graded random structure matrix composites

Summary  We consider a linearly thermoelastic composite medium, which consists of a homogeneous matrix containing a statistically inhomogeneous random set of ellipsoidal uncoated or coated inclusions, where the concentration of the inclusions is a function of the coordinates (functionally graded material). Effective properties, such as compliance and thermal expansion coefficient, as well as first statistical moments of stresses in the components are estimated for the general case of inhomogeneity of the thermoelastic inclusion properties. The micromechanical approach is based on the Green function technique as well as on the generalization of the multiparticle effective field method (MEFM), previously proposed for the research of statistically homogeneous random structure composites. The hypothesis of effective field homogeneity near the inclusions is used; nonlocal effects of overall constitutive relations are not considered. Nonlocal dependences of local effective thermoelastic properties as well as those of conditional averages of the stresses in the components on the concentration of the inclusions are demonstrated. Received 11 November 1999; accepted for publication 4 May 2000     

A finite-strain model for anisotropic viscoplastic porous media: II – Applications

In Part I of this work, we have proposed a new model based on the “second-order” nonlinear homogenization method for determining the effective response and microstructure evolution in viscoplastic porous media with aligned ellipsoidal voids subjected to general loading conditions. In this second part, the new model is used to analyze the instantaneous effective behavior and microstructure evolution in porous media for several representative loading conditions and microstructural configurations. First, we study the effect of the shape and orientation of the voids on the overall instantaneous response of a porous medium that is subjected to principal loading conditions. Secondly, we study the problem of microstructure evolution under axisymmetric and simple shear loading conditions for initially spherical voids in an attempt to validate the present model by comparison with existing numerical and approximate results in the literature. Finally, we study the possible development of macroscopic instabilities for the special case of ideally-plastic solids subjected to plane-strain loading conditions. The results, reported in this paper, suggest that the present model improves dramatically on the earlier “variational” estimates, in particular, because it generates much more accurate results for high triaxiality loading conditions.     

Spectral properties of some problems in mechanics of strongly inhomogeneous media

In the present paper, we derive effective dynamic equations and analyze the spectral properties of strongly inhomogeneous media such as elastic porous materials saturated by a fluid and two-fluid mixtures (suspensions).We also study the structure of the natural vibration spectrum of bounded volumes for several effective models and the convergence rate of solutions of the original boundary value problems for two-phase media to the corresponding solutions of the effective (homogenized) boundary value problems.     

Inclusions and inhomogeneities in strain gradient elasticity with couple stresses and related problems

At small length scales and/or in presence of large field gradients, the implicit long wavelength assumption of classical elasticity breaks down. Postulating a form of second gradient elasticity with couple stresses as a suitable phenomenological model for small-scale elastic phenomena, we herein extend Eshelby’s classical formulation for inclusions and inhomogeneities. While the modified size-dependent Eshelby’s tensor and hence the complete elastic state of inclusions containing transformation strains or eigenstrains is explicitly derived, the corresponding inhomogeneity problem leads to integrals equations which do not appear to have closed-form solutions. To that end, Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method is extended to the present framework in form of a perturbation series that then can be used to approximate the elastic state of inhomogeneities. The approximate scheme for inhomogeneities also serves as the basis for establishing expressions for the effective properties of composites in second gradient elasticity with couple stresses. The present work is expected to find application towards nano-inclusions and certain types of composites in addition to being the basis for subsequent non-linear homogenization schemes.     

Bounds for effective elastic moduli of inhomogeneous solid bodies

In connection with the extensive use of various kinds of inhomogeneous materials (glass, carbon and boron reinforced plastics, cermets, concrete, reinforced materials, etc.) in technology, there arises a need to calculate the elastic properties of such systems. Here in each case it is necessary to work out specific methods for finding both elastic fields and effective moduli. Since, as a rule, such methods do not take into account the character of distribution of inhomogeneities in space, which is reflected on the form of the central moment functions [1], they can be referred to a single class and, consequently, can be obtained by a common method [2], In the given paper, by means of the method of solution of stochastic problems for microinhomogeneous solid bodies proposed in the work of the author [2], we find elastic fields and effective moduli in an arbitrary approximation. Depending on the choice of parameters, the latter form bounds within which there lie the exact values of the effective moduli. It is shown that the conditions used earlier for finding these parameters [3] are not the best ones. The effective elastic moduli of an inhomogeneous medium are calculated, and bounds, narrower than the bounds formed in [3], are found for them.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhniki, No. 5, pp. 144–150, September–October, 1973.     

Dispersion and attenuation in thermoelastic multisize particulate composites

This paper deals with the problem of multiple scattering by a random distribution of spherical solid particles in a solid. The material properties of both media are taken as thermoelastic. The radii of the inclusions may be different. The self-consistent method in its variant of the effective medium is used to find the dispersion and attenuation of quasi-elastic, quasi-thermal and shear waves. The single scattering problem required by this technique is solved approximately by means of the Galerkin method applied to an integral equation using the Green function. Numerical results display a characteristic resonance phenomena which appears in the interval where the results are approximately valid, that is, for very long waves down to wavelengths about twice the largest diameter of the spheres. Examples are shown, for composites with two sets of inclusions, which have either a very similar or dissimilar size. Comparisons are made with the elastic counterpart. Among the material properties, the mass density ratio, inclusion to matrix, seems to play an important and simple role. Frequency intervals are distinguished and shown to depend on that ratio, where the attenuation and dispersion of quasi-elastic and P-waves are either very close to each other or not at all. The same applies to shear waves in either composite. The mass density ratio also displays a simple monotonic decreasing behaviour as a function of the frequency at the first attenuation maximum and velocity minimum. These results may be of interest for the nondestructive testing characterization of particulate composites.