This paper presents a quantitative study of the size of representative volume element (RVE) of random matrix-inclusion composites based on a scale-dependent homogenization method. In particular, mesoscale bounds defined under essential or natural boundary conditions are computed for several nonlinear elastic, planar composites, in which the matrix and inclusions differ not only in their material parameters but also in their strain energy function representations. Various combinations of matrix and inclusion phases described by either a neo-Hookean or Ogden function are examined, and these are compared to those of linear elastic types.
Under consideration is the problem of size and response of the Representative Volume Element (RVE) in the setting of finite elasticity of statistically homogeneous and ergodic random microstructures. Through the application of variational principles, a scale dependent hierarchy of strain energy functions (i.e. mesoscale bounds) is derived for the effective strain energy function of the RVE. In order to account for thermoelastic effects, the variational principles are first generalized, and then analogous bounds on the effective thermoelastic response are derived. It is also shown that, in contradiction to results obtained for random linear composites, the hierarchy on the effective strain energy function in nonlinear elasticity cannot be split into volumetric and isochoric terms, while the hierarchy on the effective free energy function cannot be divided into purely mechanical and thermal contributions.
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