Spatium: An open-source Abaqus/CAE plug-in for computational homogenization of particle-reinforced composites

Particle-reinforced composite materials are widely used in various engineering applications due to their superior mechanical properties. Accurate prediction of the effective behavior of such composites often requires constructing a representative volume element (RVE) and applying periodic boundary conditions (PBCs). However, these often involve repetitive and time-consuming manual steps, which can be a significant challenge for researchers and engineers. In this paper, we introduce Spatium, an open-source Abaqus/CAE plug-in that streamlines these tasks by automating random spherical inclusion generation, mesh creation, and PBC enforcement. Spatium employs a dummy surface approach to implement PBCs, relaxing the mesh alignment constraints typically required for periodicity and providing broader flexibility in mesh design. To illustrate its capabilities, the overall deformation responses of aluminum–silicon carbide (Al/SiC) composites are calculated for different volume fractions of inclusions and deformation modes.