A study on epoxy‐based 1–3 piezoelectric composites using finite element method

The article deals with finite element study of 1–3 composites made of piezoceramic fibers embedded in epoxy. The study focuses on evaluation of effective properties of piezoelectric fiber composites using representative volume element method. The physical properties deduced are further used for analyzing sensing and actuation characteristics of unimorph cantilever beam. K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃‐LiSbO₃ (KNN‐LS), KNN‐LS doped with 1 wt% CaTiO₃ [KNN‐LS‐CT (1 wt%)], K_0.475Na_0.475Li_0.05(Nb_0.92Ta_0.05Sb_0.03)O₃ (KNLNTS), 0.885 (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)TiO₃−0.05(Bi_0.5K_0.5)TiO₃−0.015 (Bi_0.5Li_0.5) TiO₃ −0.05 BaTiO₃ (BNKLBT) and lead zirconate titanate (Pb [Zr_xTi_1−x] O₃) (PZT) are embedded in epoxy matrix to form 1–3 piezocomposites. K_0.475Na_0.475Li_0.05(Nb_0.92Ta_0.05 Sb_0.03)O₃ (KNLNTS) shows excellent performance than other composites under study. It can be concluded that KNLNTS (lead‐free piezoelectric material) is a potential candidate which can replace lead‐based PZT for smart structure applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1895–1905, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers