A boundary element analysis of metal matrix composite materials

The numerical modelling of metal matrix composites is an important part of the research now being conducted on these materials. Due to the numerical complexity of a fully three‐dimensional analysis, two‐dimensional approximations are normally used with finite element methods. While these analyses are informative, they cannot treat complex particle shapes or examine three‐dimensional effects in the composite. The use of boundary element methods in place of the more widely used finite element methods significantly reduces the computing power necessary to obtain a solution to a given problem, making it possible to simulate fully three‐dimensional geometries. In the present paper a two‐dimensional form of the BEM is applied to the study of metal matrix composite materials, and its performance compared with that of similar FEM stadies. We also compare the predicted composite properties with existing and new experimental results. We conclude that the BEM is an effective tool for the analysis of this class of problems.