Dynamic mechanical properties of spherical inclusions in polymer composite: A self-consistent approach considering morphology

In this work, the dynamic mechanical behavior of epoxy/A-glass bead composites is investigated considering the influence of the volume fraction of the beads and their surface treatments. The main differences between the different samples are observed in the rubbery modulus plateau. The “Self-Consistent Scheme” is used to calculate the effective shear modulus of the composite with spherical inclusions, i.e., a macroscopically isotropic polymer medium containing spheres. The 3-phase model first introduced by Christensen and Lo accurately predicts results for the composite with treated glass beads (sizing agent), but fails for the other one (untreated surface). For the latter composite, other related models (4-phase models) are also applied without satisfactory results. Then, the 3-phase model is applied in successive steps to account for the specific distribution of glass.