Micromechanics Modeling of Multiphase Piezoelectric Composites Available to Purchase

Recent work on multifunctional materials has shown that a functionally graded interface between the fiber and matrix of a composite material can lead to improved strength and stiffness while simultaneously affording piezoelectric properties to the composite. However the modeling of this functional gradient is difficult through micromechanics models without discretizing the gradient into numerous layers of varying properties. In order to facilitate the design of these multi-phase piezoelectric composites, accurate models are required. In this work, multi-inclusion models are extended to predict the effective electroelastic properties of multiphase piezoelectric composites. The presented formulation will provide a general framework for modeling other coupled fields of heterogeneous materials. To evaluate the micromechanics modeling results, a three dimensional finite element model of a four-phase piezoelectric composite was created in the commercial finite element software ABAQUS with different volume fractions and aspect ratios. The simulations showed excellent agreement for predicting the electroelastic properties of the multiphase piezoelectric composites.