The propagation of horizontally polarized shear waves in plates bordered with viscous liquid

•Sensors using non-piezoelectric plates have application-oriented advantages.•For non-piezoelectric plate sensors, the dispersion relations are found and solved.•In presence of viscous liquids the propagation parameters of HPSW change.•The measurement sensitivity of the device highly depends on plate thickness.

Requirements for ultrasonic horizontally polarized shear waves based viscosity sensors and their applicability for continuous in-line measurement are presented and discussed. The results reveal, that sensors using non-piezoelectric plates as well as wave guides and sensing surface have application-oriented advantages in corrosive and hot liquids.For such non-piezoelectric plate sensors, the dispersion relations are found and the linking equation among propagation velocity as well as attenuation coefficient and Newtonian liquid parameters are obtained. The findings show that in presence of viscous liquids the propagation parameters of horizontally polarized shear waves (HPSW) in non-piezoelectric plate change and a viscosity depending attenuation occurs. It is shown that the measurement sensitivity, in physical terms, of the investigated device highly depends on plate thickness, shear wave impedance of the plate material, and the shear wave impedance of the ambient liquid. Further, reasonable geometrical optimizations and suited plate materials are discussed.