Piezoelectric properties of multiphase fibrous composites: Some theoretical results (Q1319067)

The paper concerns the evaluation of effective electromechanical moduli in special classes of piezoelectric composites. A number of exact results are established for such moduli when the composites consist of many perfectly bonded transversely isotropic phases of cylindrical shape (fibers) and arbitrary transverse geometry. In the case of such three- phase media, three universal relationships that are independent of the geometry at fixed volume fractions, are shown to connect six of the effective moduli. When the phases have equal transverse rigidity in shear, then exact values of certain of the overall moduli can be derived for multiphase systems. It is proved that the explicit formulae depend then solely on the concentrations and phase moduli. More precisely, seven out of a total of ten overall moduli of a transversely isotropic composite can be found thus, while the remaining three are shown to obey an exact relationship. The latter would also apply in the analysis of other phenomena in composite materials, e.g., magnetoelectric and thermoelectric effects. This work follows and generalizes previous works by \textit{R. Hill} [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 35, 565-576 (1987; Zbl 0616.73004)] in pure elasticity and by \textit{K. S. Mendelson} in pure dielectric problems. It fits in the current research of materials science with application to new materials, in particular, artificially produced ones such as electromechanical composites.