Heterogeneous Media

Book excerpt: Most materials used in contemporary life and industry are heterogeneous (composites) and multicomponent, possessing a rich and complex internal structure. This internal structure, or microstructure, plays a key role in understanding and controlling the continuum behavior, or macroscopic, of a wide variety of materials. The modeling process is a critical tool for scientists and engineers studying the analysis and experimentation for the micromechanics and behavior of these materials. "Heterogeneous Media" is a critical, in-depth edited survey of the major topics surrounding the modeling and analysis of problems in micromechanics of multicomponent systems, including conceptual and practical aspects. The goal of this extensive and comprehensive survey is to provide both specialists and nonspecialists with an authoritative and interdisciplinary perspective of current ideas and methods used for modeling heterogeneous materials behavior and their applications. Topics and Features: * all chapters use interdisciplinary modeling perspective for investigating heterogeneous media*Five chapters provide self-contained discussions, with background provided*Focuses only upon most important techniques and models, fully exploring micro-macro interconnections*extensive introductory survey chapter on micromechanics of heterogeneous media*microstructure characterization via statistical correlation functions*micro-scale deformation of pore space*wave fields and effective dynamical properties*modeling of the complex production technologies for composite materials The book is ideal for a general scientific and engineering audience needing an in-depth view and guide to current ideas, methods and