In this work, we present a geometrical model to estimate the thermal conductivity of particulate composites. This model takes into account the influence of neighboring spherical particles on the thermomechanical constants of the composite material consisting of matrix and filler.

The microstructural model which represents the basic cell of the composite at a microscopic scale was transformed to a six-phase spherical representative volume element.

Next, to calculate this property, we propose an amended form of inverse rule of mixtures, which seems to be more realistic since the effect of particle arrangement was taken into consideration.

particulate composite, representative volume element, unit cell, thermal conductivity.