Modeling of structure formation of energy-saturated heterogeneous composite material

Abstract One of the approaches to modeling of the structure formation of an energy-saturated heterogeneous composite material (EHCM) by mixing its components represented by liquid and solid phases was considered. To develop a model of the mixing process, one of the heuristic algorithms was used, i.e. the metal annealing method. The model is formalized with the condition of averaging the particle sizes within each of the fractions, as well as the morphology of their surface. As a representative element of the model, an elementary cell is adopted in the form of hexogonally densely packed particles around one introduced into the composition of the composite material (in small amounts, from 5 to 15 %) as a modifier. The voids in the cell are filled with liquid polymer. The developed model is based on the objective function, which assumes obtaining a uniform distribution of components with the required density of their packing and filling the voids with a liquid phase while minimizing the number of mixing iterations. A comparison of the values resulted during modeling with the measured characteristics of mixing on a particular mixer will make it possible to form a matching scale of the modeling results to the operating modes of technological equipment. This will determine the appropriate modes of mixing the components at the stage of development of the technological process of EHCM production.