Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-45l2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T20:45:57.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
This chapter is part of a book that is no longer available to purchase from Cambridge Core

10 - Approximations and asymptotic formulas

Graeme W. Milton
Affiliation:
University of Utah
Get access

Summary

Countless approximations for estimating effective moduli have been introduced; some are semi-empirical, some are based on ad-hoc assumptions, and some have a reasonable theoretical basis. Here we will only review those well-known approximations that have a reasonable theoretical foundation, and which have withstood the test of time; see also the reviews of Van Beek (1967), Landauer (1978), Willis (1981), Markov (2000), and Buryachenko (2001). In addition, we discuss various asymptotic formulas that are applicable in high-contrast media.

Polarizability of a dielectric inclusion

Many approximations for the effective moduli of composites are based on the solution for dilute suspensions. For simplicity, let us suppose that we are interested in approximating the effective dielectric constant and require the solution for a dilute suspension of inclusions embedded in an isotropic matrix of dielectric constant ε0I. Since the grains are well-separated from each other, the field acting on each inclusion will be approximately uniform. To a good approximation we can solve for the field in the neighborhood of any such inclusion by treating it as if it was embedded in an infinite homogeneous medium of dielectric constant ε0 and subject to a uniform applied field at infinity. The analysis of this problem is the focus of the this section.

Consider an isolated, possibly inhomogeneous, inclusion that is embedded in an isotropic matrix of dielectric constant ε0 and subject to a uniform applied electric field a at infinity.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×