Multiscale electro-thermal modeling of the Branly effect in oxidized copper granular media
Abstract
This study investigates the dielectric breakdown of copper granular media covered by a native semiconducting oxide layer (Cu 2 O) under DC stress. This insulator-to-conductor transition, known as the Branly effect, initiates powder consolidation in Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) by disrupting native oxide diffusion barriers. The phenomenon is analyzed through a multiscale approach combining the Discrete Element Method (DEM), Finite Element Method (FEM), and analytical modeling. Locally, a 3D electro-thermal FEM model validates an analytical breakdown criterion based on thermal runaway. Macroscopically, unlike models focusing on post-breakdown metallic percolation, the 3D DEM framework integrates the oxide's thermal degradation to actively drive the transition. Results reveal a two-stage macroscopic breakdown: a "soft" regime of power-driven filamentation that stabilizes the electric field, followed by a "hard" regime where the metallic failure of a minute contact fraction (< 0.1%) establishes a percolating path. This numerical approach provides a deeper understanding of the breakdown mechanisms and the induced current percolation, offering physical insights to optimize the early activation and densification stages in SPS.
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BibTeX
@article{antou2026multiscale,
title = {{Multiscale electro-thermal modeling of the Branly effect in oxidized copper granular media}},
author = {G. Antou and D. André and C. Hubert},
journal = {Materials Today Communications},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.mtcomm.2026.115750},
url = {https://unilim.hal.science/hal-05801476v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Multiscale electro-thermal modeling of the Branly effect in oxidized copper granular media
AU - G. Antou
AU - D. André
AU - C. Hubert
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Materials Today Communications
DO - 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2026.115750
UR - https://unilim.hal.science/hal-05801476v1
AB - This study investigates the dielectric breakdown of copper granular media covered by a native semiconducting oxide layer (Cu 2 O) under DC stress. This insulator-to-conductor transition, known as the Branly effect, initiates powder consolidation in Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) by disrupting native oxide diffusion barriers. The phenomenon is analyzed through a multiscale approach combining the Discrete Element Method (DEM), Finite Element Method (FEM), and analytical modeling. Locally, a 3D electro-thermal FEM model validates an analytical breakdown criterion based on thermal runaway. Macroscopically, unlike models focusing on post-breakdown metallic percolation, the 3D DEM framework integrates the oxide's thermal degradation to actively drive the transition. Results reveal a two-stage macroscopic breakdown: a "soft" regime of power-driven filamentation that stabilizes the electric field, followed by a "hard" regime where the metallic failure of a minute contact fraction (< 0.1%) establishes a percolating path. This numerical approach provides a deeper understanding of the breakdown mechanisms and the induced current percolation, offering physical insights to optimize the early activation and densification stages in SPS.
SN - 2352-4928
ER -