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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
07:38
Microfluidic Fabrication of Polymeric and Biohybrid Fibers with Predesigned Size and Shape
Published on: January 8, 2014
Modeling percolation in high-aspect-ratio fiber systems. I. Soft-core versus hard-core models
1Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606-3390, USA.
Summary
This study compares soft-core and hard-core models for simulating fiber percolation in composites. The hard-core model is more accurate for nanotube-reinforced materials, especially considering fiber waviness.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Physics
Background:
- Existing models often simplify high-aspect-ratio fibers as penetrable spherocylinders.
- Real fibers in composites may not touch or penetrate, and can be wavy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of fiber penetrability and waviness on percolation onset in fiber-reinforced composites.
- To compare soft-core and hard-core models for percolation simulation.
Main Methods:
- Monte Carlo simulations were used to investigate percolation thresholds.
- The study compared soft-core (penetrable fibers) and hard-core (non-penetrable fibers) models.
Main Results:
- The inverse relationship between percolation threshold and excluded volume holds for both models.
- Fiber intersection in soft-core models introduces non-negligible errors, dependent on aspect ratio and tunneling distance.
Conclusions:
- The hard-core model is more suitable for simulating percolation in nanotube-reinforced composites.
- The hard-core model can aid in calculating tunneling distance based on fiber morphology and experimental data.
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