Influence of gradual interphase on overall elastic and viscoelastic properties of particulate composites

The overall elastic and viscoelastic properties of particulate composites with graded interphase have been analyzed analytically. The localization relation for a coated particle with a graded interphase in the radial direction has been firstly derived, and the effective elastic moduli of such composites are then estimated by the mean field theory and generalized self-consistent method respectively. The effective storage and loss moduli of the composite are also determined through the dynamic correspondence principle. The results show that the nature of the interphase (soft and hard) can have important influence on the prediction for effective elastic and viscoelastic properties of the composite, especially for a soft graded interphase, the predictions based on a uniform interphase model overestimates largely the effective elastic and viscoelastic moduli of the composite.