A micromechanics-based analytical model is developed to evaluate the performance of 1-3-2 piezoelectric composite where both matrix and fiber materials are piezoelectrically active. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the influence of the ceramic base and the fiber volume fraction on the modified 1-3 composite. The performance of the 1-3-2 composite as a transducer for underwater acoustics and biomedical imaging applications has been analyzed. The proposed model is capable of predicting the effective properties of the composite subjected to thermoelectromechanical loading conditions. Simulated results of 1-3 type piezocomposite compare well with experimentally measured data reported in the literature (Taunaumang et al 1994 J. Appl. Phys. 76 484-9). The present study demonstrates that the low end ceramic base volume fraction of 1-3-2 composite yields comparative performance with 1-3 type composite. It is observed that the influence of thermal effects on the effective properties of the composite also induces the polarization in the composite.
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