Modeling and simulation of self-assembly of arbitrarily shaped ferro-colloidal particles in an external field: A diffuse interface field approach

Field-directed dipolar particle self-assembly is explored by computer simulation as a processing route to advanced materials with controlled particulate microstructures. The computational model of arbitrarily shaped ferro-colloidal particles is developed by using a diffuse interface field approach. The model explicitly describes the evolving configuration of dipolar particles of arbitrary shapes and sizes, automatically treats short-range interaction between neighboring particles and accurately calculates long-range electrostatic/magnetostatic interaction, including dipole and all multipole contributions. No a priori constraint is imposed on any possible particle configuration or its evolution path. Ferro-colloidal processing of polymer-matrix composite via directed dipolar particle self-assembly under an external field is simulated.