Stochastic modelling of clay/epoxy nanocomposites

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the mechanical properties of exfoliated clay/epoxy nanocomposites. The large scatter in the material properties and distribution of the inclusions and matrix is taken into account by introducing an appropriate stochastic damage modelling at the nano-scale. Then, the overall properties of the nanocomposite are upscaled using computational homogenisation. Two mechanical properties are investigated: the random distribution of the homogenised Young's modulus and the overall loss of stiffness observed in the case of extreme loading. The results obtained in the former case are in good agreement with experimental results from the literature. In the second case, we show that exfoliation does not significantly affect the overall strength of the nanocomposite. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.