Abstract: A piezoelectric composite was prepared with highly aligned BaTiO₃ whiskers as active phase and
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as matrix. Its dielectric and electromechanical properties were investigated. The experimental results show that the
dielectric constant (ε), piezoelectric constant (d₃₃) and remnant polarization (P_r) are considerably higher in the whisker composite
than in the corresponding composite containing BaTiO₃ powders as the active phase, while the loss factors follow the opposite trend. For the whisker
composite, ε, d₃₃ and P_r along the direction of the whisker orientation (normal specimen) are much higher than the values
normal to the whisker orientation (parallel specimen). The reasons for the observed differences were discussed.

Key words: piezoelectric composite, BaTiO₃ whiskers, dielectric properties, electromechanical properties, polarization