Dual-phase functionally graded composite materials: Overall and discrete analysis models

Functionally graded materials (FGM) includes a dual-phase graded layer in which two different constituents are mixed continuously and functionally according to a given volume fraction. For the analysis of their thermo-mechanical response, conventional overall (averaged, global or homogenized) methods have been widely employed in order to estimate equivalent material properties of the graded layer. However, such overall estimations are insufficient to accurately predict the local behavior. We in this paper intend to compare the thermo-elastic behaviors predicted by several overall material-property estimation techniques with those by discrete analysis models utilizing the finite element method, for various Volume fractions and loading conditions.