Title: Computer simulations of realistic three-dimensional microstructures of discontinuously reinforced aluminium alloy composites

Authors: Yuxiong Mao; Arun M. Gokhale

Addresses: Predictive Design Technologies, LLC, 60 Technology Boulevard, Suite 115B, Starkville, MS 39759, USA ' School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0245, USA

Abstract: Computer simulations of microstructures have been reported to incorporate realistic 2D complex particle morphologies/shapes. In this contribution, we take one step further to simulate 3D microstructures that incorporate 3D realistic complex particle morphologies/shapes. The methodology permits simulations of sufficiently large microstructural windows that incorporate short-range (on the order of particle/feature size) as well as long-range (few hundred times the particle/feature size) microstructural heterogeneities and spatial patterns in 3D space. Two-point correlation functions and lineal path probability distributions are used for microstructure representation. The two-point correlation functions and lineal path probability distributions of the simulated microstructures are closely matched with those of the corresponding real microstructures. Correlations of simulation parameters with process parameters enable simulations of virtual microstructures of composites that have not been fabricated.

Keywords: 3D simulation; microstructure; 3D microstructures; reinforced composites; aluminium alloys; discontinuous reinforcement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCMSSE.2013.059123

International Journal of Computational Materials Science and Surface Engineering, 2013 Vol.5 No.4, pp.322 - 345

Received: 04 Oct 2012
Accepted: 05 Aug 2013
Published online: 21 Jun 2014 *

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