Lamb waves in a thin isotropic layer between two anisotropic layers

Attenuative Lamb wave propagation in adhesively bonded anisotropic composite plates is introduced. The isotropic adhesive exhibits viscous behavior to stimulate the poor curing of the middle layer. Viscosity is assumed to vary linearly with frequency, implying that attenuation per wavelength is constant. Attenuation can be implemented in the analysis through modification of elastic properties of isotropic adhesive. The new properties become complex, but cause no further complications in the analysis. The characteristic equation is the same as that used for the elastic plate case, except that both real and imaginary parts of the wave number (i.e., the attenuation) must be computed. Based on the Lowe’s solution in finding the complex roots of characteristic equation, the effect of longitudinal and shear attenuation coefficients of the middle adhesive layer on phase velocity dispersion curves and attenuation dispersion curves of Lamb waves propagating in bonded anisotropic composites is visualized numerically.