Monte Carlo modeling of the fiber curliness effect on percolation of conductive composites

摘要

A three-dimensional (3D) Monte Carlo model is developed to study the fiber curliness effect on the percolation threshold of a composite filled with electrically conductive curved fibers. These fibers are simulated as zigzag-shaped fibers that are randomly positioned in the composite, forming a 3D random network. The simulation results show that the fiber curliness can significantly affect the percolation threshold: the more curved the fibers, the higher the threshold. The results also reveal an exponential relationship between the threshold and the fiber aspect ratio: the higher the aspect ratio, the lower the threshold. These predicted trends agree well with existing experimental and simulation results based on straight fibers or curved fibers with simpler shapes.