Application of the semy-analytical micromechanical methods for optimization of the elastic response of metal-ceramic composites

Metal-ceramic composites produced by melt infiltration of the ceramic preform were studied. The ceramic preform of these materials is manufactured through freeze-casting process and the microstructure can be presented as distribution of the lamellar domains. Micromechanical models were used for the calculation of the effective elastic properties of the domains. The minimum compliance problem was solved for sample subjected to the four-point bending test. The optimal orientation and volume fracture of the micro constituents were identified using different models. The difference between the initial and optimized design was analyzed. The convergence of the provided optimization procedure was very rapid. (© 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)