A Mixture Theory for Wave Propagation in Anisotropic Angle-ply Laminates

A binary mixture theory with microstructure is constructed for symmetric angle-ply laminates with orthotropic laminae, and for motion which, on the average, is planar. Model construction is based on an asymptotic scheme wherein the dominant signal wavelength is assumed to be large when compared to a typical composite microdimension. A numerical study of the phase velocity spectrum associated with the resulting theory reveals that dispersion is directionally dependent and may be strong depending upon the propagation direction and lay-up angle. Typical results are presented for glass/epoxy, boron/epoxy, and graphite/epoxy composites.