RULE OF MIXTURES

1. INTRODUCTION
2. SIMPLE SLAB MODEL
3. VOIGT MODEL FOR AXIAL LOADING
4. REUSS MODEL FOR TRANSVERSE LOADING
 INTRODUCTION

 In materials science, a general rule of mixtures is

a weighted mean used to predict various properties
of a composite material made up of continuous and
unidirectional fibers.
 It provides a theoretical upper- and lower-bound on
properties such as the elastic modulus, mass
density, ultimate tensile strength, thermal
conductivity, and electrical conductivity.
 In general there are two models, one for axial loading
(Voigt model), and one for transverse loading (Reuss
model).
 SIMPLE SLAB MODEL

 The axial and transverse Young's Moduli can be

predicted using a simple slab model, in which the
fibre and matrix are represented by parallel slabs of
material, with thicknesses in proportion to their
volume fractions, 𝐸 and (1 − 𝐸).
VOIGT MODEL
 AXIAL LOADING

 The fibre strain is equal to the matrix strain: EQUAL STRAIN.

𝜎1𝑚 𝜎1
𝜀1 = 𝜀1𝑓 = 𝜎1𝑓 = 𝜀1𝑚 = =
𝐸𝑓 𝐸𝑚 𝐸1
 For a composite in which the fibres are much stiffer than the
matrix ( 𝐸𝑓 >> 𝐸𝑚 ), the reinforcement fibre is subject to
much higher stresses ( 𝜎1𝑓 >> 𝜎1𝑚 ) than the matrix and
there is a redistribution of the load. The overall stress 𝜎1 can
be expressed in terms of the two contributions:
𝜎1 = ( 1 − 𝑓 )𝜎1𝑚 + 𝑓 𝜎1𝑓
 The Young's modulus of the composite can now be written as
(1−𝑓)𝜎1𝑚+𝑓𝜎1𝑓
𝐸1 = 𝜎1 = 𝜎1𝑓
= (1 − 𝑓)𝐸1𝑚 + 𝑓𝐸1𝑓
𝜀1
𝐸𝑓
REUSS MODEL
 TRANSVERSE LOADING

 The stress acting on the reinforcement is equal to

the stress acting on the matrix: EQUAL STRESS.
𝜎2 = 𝜎2𝑓 = 𝜀2𝑓 𝐸𝑓 = 𝜎2𝑚 = 𝜀2𝑚𝐸𝑚
 The net strain is the sum of the contributions from
the matrix and the fibre:
𝜀2 = 𝑓 𝜀2𝑓 + ( 1 − 𝑓 ) 𝜀2𝑚
 from which the composite modulus is given by:

𝜎2𝑓 𝑓 (1−𝑓) −1
𝐸2 = 𝜎2𝜀2 = = +
𝑓𝜀2𝑓 +(1−𝑓) 𝜀2𝑚 𝐸𝑓 𝐸𝑚
EQUATION OF COMPOSITES

1. UPPER-BOUND MODULUS
2. LOWER-BOUND MODULUS
3. ELASTIC MODULUS VS VOLUME FRACTION
4. OTHER PROPERTIES
=MASS DENSITY
=ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH
=THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
=ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY
 UPPER-BOUND MODULUS

 In general, for some material property E (often the

elastic modulus), the rule of mixtures states that the
overall property in the direction parallel to the fibers
may be as high as
𝐸𝑐 = 𝑓𝐸𝑓 + (1 − 𝑓)𝐸𝑚
 In the case of the elastic modulus, this is known as
the upper-bound modulus, and corresponds to
loading parallel to the fibers.
 LOWER-BOUND MODULUS

 The inverse rule of mixtures states that in the

direction perpendicular to the fibers, the elastic modulus
of a composite can be as low as
𝑓 (1−𝑓) −1
𝐸𝑐 = +
𝐸𝑓 𝐸𝑚
where
𝑓 = 𝑉𝑓 is the volume fraction of the fibers
𝑉𝑓+𝑉𝑚
𝐸𝑓 is the material property of the fibers
𝐸𝑚 is the material property of the matrix
 If the property under study is the elastic modulus, this
quantity is called the lower-bound modulus, and
corresponds to a transverse loading.
 ELASTIC MODULUS
VS VOLUME FRACTION

 The upper and lower bounds on the elastic modulus

of a composite material, as predicted by the rule of
mixtures. The actual elastic modulus lies between the
curves.
 MASS DENSITY

−1
𝑓 1−𝑓
+ ≤ 𝜌c ≤ 𝑓𝜌f + (1 − f)𝜌m
𝜌f 𝜌m
 ULTIMATE TESNILE STRENGTH

−1
𝑓 1−𝑓
+ ≤ 𝜎𝑈𝑇𝑆, 𝑐 ≤ 𝑓𝜎𝑈𝑇𝑆, 𝑓 + (1 − f)𝜎𝑈𝑇𝑆, 𝑚
𝜎𝑈𝑇𝑆, 𝑓 𝜎𝑈𝑇𝑆, 𝑚
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY

−1
𝑓 1−𝑓
+ ≤ kc ≤ 𝑓kf + (1 − f)𝑘m
kf km
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

−1
𝑓 1−𝑓
+ ≤ 𝜎𝑐 ≤ 𝑓𝜎𝑓 + (1 − f)𝜎𝑚
𝜎𝑓 𝜎𝑚
 REFERENCE

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