Shear wave propagation in layered composites with degraded matrices at locations of imperfect bonding

Biodegradable polymers find an increasing number of applications in different fields of engineering and medicine due to their environmental-friendly degradation. The process of degradation of biodegradable polymer constituents and the bonding quality between the constituents in composites can be identified by the analysis of the phononic band structure. The present article considers a layered composite, in which the matrix degradation is modeled by a multitude of layers with decreasing values of their mechanical properties. Bonding between the inclusion and the degrading matrix is taken into account by a linear elastic bonding model in the first case and by a viscoelastic model in the second case. •In our article we study biodegradable polymers.•The matrix degradation is modeled by multiple layers with different properties.•Polymer degradation and bonding quality are identified by phononic band analysis.•Bonding is taken into account by a linear elastic model and by a viscoelastic model.