The homogenization method for the study of variation of Poisson's ratio in fiber composites (Q1268475)

The authors apply the topological optimization methods for discrete structures to study the influence of the individual mechanical properties of constituent phases of a composite material or structure on the overal properties of the product. Numerical results show that materials with arbitrary constitutive parameters can be constructed with assigned in advance properties. However, for the extreme cases where special types of materials with negative Poisson's ratios are required, they can be achieved only by playing with the geometry of the inclusions, which are, in general, with reduced mechanical parameters, thus indicating that only special types of foamy materials with high degrees of porosity are the most convenient. Elements of the numerical homogenization theory and first attempts towards an optimal design theory are presented and applied to a numerical investigation of such types of materials.