Abstract
1-1-3 Piezoelectric composites made of piezoelectric ceramic, epoxy resin and silicone rubber were prepared by using the modified 'slice and fill' technique. The effect of the volume percentage of piezoelectric ceramic on the properties of the composite was analyzed by measuring the impedance curves, electromechanical coupling coefficients, and acoustic impedance values of the samples. The experimental results show that the change in the volume percentage of the epoxy has no effect on the piezoelectric properties of the composites, and it only affects the acoustic impedance (Z). For comparison, 1-3 piezoelectric composites with only piezoelectric ceramic and epoxy resin were prepared. The electromechanical coupling coefficient of the 1-1-3 piezoelectric composite is higher than that of the 1-3 composite, and also the acoustic impedance of 1-1-3 composite is lower than that of 1-3 composite. For the transducer array usage, the consistency and decoupling effect between elements in 1-1-3 composite and 1-3 composite are tested. The results indicate that the 1-1-3 composite is more suitable for designing high performance transducer array compared to the 1-3 composite.