Dynamic magnetomechanical properties of Terfenol-D/epoxy pseudo 1-3 composites

Terfenol-D/epoxy pseudo 1-3 composites were fabricated by embedding and aligning Terfenol-D particles with a size distribution of 10-300 μm in a passive epoxy matrix using six Terfenol-D volume fractions (vf) ranging from 0.22 to 0.72. The dependence of the dynamic relative permeability (μ r33 T), elastic modulus (E3H), and dynamic strain coefficient (d33) on vf was investigated as a function of magnetic bias field (HBias). The HBias response data showed that the built-in non-180° domain states related to residual compressive stresses in the composites result in a significant decrease in μ r33 T for HBias <40 kAm in addition to a minimization of E3H and a maximization of d33 near HBias =40 kAm. The vf dependent data revealed that μ r33 T is almost a linear function of vf; E3H increases gradually with increasing vf; and d33 increases initially, leveling off for vf >0.5. The present study provides a useful guide to optimize the composite properties for transducer design.