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

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.