On the multi-scale description of electrical conducting suspensions involving perfectly dispersed rods

Abstract

Nanocomposites allow for a significant enhancement of functional properties, in particular electrical conduction. In order to optimize materials and parts, predictive models are required to evaluate particle distribution and orientation. Both are key parameters in order to evaluate percolation and the resulting electrical networks. Many forming processes involve flowing suspensions for which the final particle orientation could be controlled by means of the flow and the electric field. In view of the multi-scale character of the problem, detailed descriptions are defined at the microscopic scale and then coarsened to be applied efficiently in process simulation at the macroscopic scale. The first part of this work revisits the different modeling approaches throughout the different description scales. Then, modeling of particle contacts is addressed as they determine the final functional properties, in particular electrical conduction. Different descriptors of rod contacts are proposed and analyzed. Numerical results are discussed, in particular to evaluate the impact of closure approximations needed to derive a macroscopic description.