The propagation of elastic waves in composite materials reinforced with piezoelectric fibres

The propagation of longitudinal elastic waves in composite materials, consi sting of a polymer matrix reinforced by continuous fibres in one direction, is considered. The reinforcing fibres have piezoelectric properties and ha ve a thin current-conducting coating ("shunted fibres"). The scattering of electric energy in such materials leads to dispersion of the velocity of th e elastic waves and to their attenuation. The effective-field method is use d to determine the macroscopic electroelastic constants of such composites. These constants enable one to obtain, in explicit form, the frequency depe ndence of the real and imaginary parts of the wave number of a longitudinal wave, propagating along the reinforcement direction, and also their depend ence on the physical and geometrical characteristics of the components. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.