Controlling the percolation threshold of conductor-insulator composites in a 2D triangular lattice by introducing binary size distributions of conductor particles

Abstract

When one attempts to modulate and control the characteristics of composite materials, the mathematical threshold of the percolation transition dictates the modulation limit. Using a series of computer simulations, we have been investigating the dependence of the percolation threshold on particle size distributions. However, one of the other factors that can deeply affect percolation behavior, the design of lattice, is always fixed to simple square or cubic lattices. This report presents the first calculation of a percolation threshold in a 2D triangular lattice with binary size distributions of conductor particles. Although a small quantitative difference was found, the results qualitatively matched to the results already reported for 2D square lattices, thus confirming our previous finding: the introduction of large conductor particles increases the percolation threshold in 2D. © 2012 The Japan Institute of Metals.