An improved continuum mixture model for wave propagation in fibrous composites

A new improved continuum mixture model is developed for the propagation of axisymmetric longitudinal waves in fibrous composites. The major improvement on the original model of Hegemier, Gurtman, and Nayfeh [Int. J. Solids Struct. 9, 395 (1973)] is achieved by the inclusion of the axial rate of change of the radial displacement in the shear constitutive relations which was neglected previously: This model has also been extended to treat situations in which the fiber and the matrix are anisotropic. The improved model is found superior to the original one, when compared with the recently acquired experimental data and exact solutions. (C) 1998 Acoustical Society of America. [S0001-4966(98)00508-6].