Isotropic Properties of Platelet-Reinforced Media

Abstract

The effective moduli are derived for a composite material containing platelet-type inclusions. The platelets are taken to be randomly oriented in three-dimensional space and to have so large a diameter-to-thickness ratio that edge effects can be neglected. The effective moduli that are derived reduce to known results in the special case of a dilute suspension. Comparisons are made with the corresponding type of composite medium that involves randomly oriented fibers. For the same volume fraction of reinforcing phase, the platelet case provides a stiffening effect about three times greater than the fiber case.