Acoustic properties of aluminum-polystyrene composite

The paper presents the results of experimental studies of the acoustic properties of an aluminum-polystyrene composite with a connectivity of 0-3. The dependences of the speed and attenuation of longitudinal volumetric acoustic waves (BAW) in the composite at a frequency of 17 MHz, as well as its density and acoustic impedance, on the volumetric content of aluminum particles in it, in the range of 0-80%, were obtained. It has been shown that an increase in the volume fraction of filler particles in the aluminum-polystyrene composite leads to significant changes in its physical properties - density and acoustic impedance - almost 2 times, longitudinal wave speed - by 17% and acoustic attenuation - by 25 times. Velocity and attenuation are, respectively, the least and most sensitive parameters to the composition of the composite. The dependences are nonlinear; this is due to the appearance of air inclusions, intergranular interaction of aluminum particles and, as a consequence, deterioration of interphase interaction and structural organization of the composite material.