Computer simulation of percolation structure in composites

Two-dimensional computer simulations were conducted on percolative structure in which second phases of various aspect ratios were arranged in a matrix phase. The second phases were randomly arranged in an array with two different computational programs; one prohibiting an overlap among second phases and the other allowing the overlap. From the simulation prohibiting the overlap, it was predicted that a continuous path was formed at less amounts of the second phase with higher aspect ratios. In the simulation allowing the overlap, a continuous path throughout the array was formed by arranging the second phase of an aspect ratio of 100 with less than 4% in the array. These results agreed well with the conduction path formation in hot-pressed ceramic composites consisting of an insulator matrix and electrically conductive whisker additives.