Sample records for hard piezoelectric lead-free

  1. Characterization of Hard Piezoelectric Lead-Free Ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Shujun; Lim, Jong Bong; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Shrout, Thomas R.

    2010-01-01

    K4CuNb8O23 doped K0.45Na0.55NbO3 (KNN-KCN) ferroelectric ceramics were found to exhibit asymmetrical polarization hysteresis loops, related to the development of an internal bias field. The internal bias field is believed to be the result of defect dipoles of acceptor ions and oxygen vacancies, which lead to piezoelectric “hardening” effect, by stabilizing and pinning of the domain wall motion. The dielectric loss for the hard lead-free piezoelectric ceramic was found to be 0.6%, with mechanical quality factors Q on the order of >1500. Furthermore, the piezoelectric properties were found to decrease and the coercive field increased, when compared with the undoped material, exhibiting a typical characteristic of “hard” behavior. The temperature usage range was limited by the polymorphic phase transition temperature, being 188°C. The full set of material constants was determined for the KNN-KCN materials. Compared with conventional hard PZT ceramics, the lead-free possessed lower dielectric and piezoelectric properties; however, comparable values of mechanical Q, dielectric loss, and coercive fields were obtained, making acceptor modified KNN based lead-free piezoelectric material promising for high-power applications, where lead-free materials are desirable. PMID:19686966

  2. Progress in engineering high strain lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Leontsev, Serhiy O; Eitel, Richard E

    2010-01-01

    Environmental concerns are strongly driving the need to replace the lead-based piezoelectric materials currently employed as multilayer actuators. The current review describes both compositional and structural engineering approaches to achieve enhanced piezoelectric properties in lead-free materials. The review of the compositional engineering approach focuses on compositional tuning of the properties and phase behavior in three promising families of lead-free perovskite ferroelectrics: the titanate, alkaline niobate and bismuth perovskites and their solid solutions. The ‘structural engineering’ approaches focus instead on optimization of microstructural features including grain size, grain orientation or texture, ferroelectric domain size and electrical bias field as potential paths to induce large piezoelectric properties in lead-free piezoceramics. It is suggested that a combination of both compositional and novel structural engineering approaches will be required in order to realize viable lead-free alternatives to current lead-based materials for piezoelectric actuator applications. PMID:27877343

  3. TOPICAL REVIEW: Progress in engineering high strain lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leontsev, Serhiy O.; Eitel, Richard E.

    2010-08-01

    Environmental concerns are strongly driving the need to replace the lead-based piezoelectric materials currently employed as multilayer actuators. The current review describes both compositional and structural engineering approaches to achieve enhanced piezoelectric properties in lead-free materials. The review of the compositional engineering approach focuses on compositional tuning of the properties and phase behavior in three promising families of lead-free perovskite ferroelectrics: the titanate, alkaline niobate and bismuth perovskites and their solid solutions. The 'structural engineering' approaches focus instead on optimization of microstructural features including grain size, grain orientation or texture, ferroelectric domain size and electrical bias field as potential paths to induce large piezoelectric properties in lead-free piezoceramics. It is suggested that a combination of both compositional and novel structural engineering approaches will be required in order to realize viable lead-free alternatives to current lead-based materials for piezoelectric actuator applications.

  4. Development, Characterization and Piezoelectric Fatigue Behavior of Lead-Free Perovskite Piezoelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patterson, Eric Andrew

    Much recent research has focused on the development lead-free perovskite piezoelectrics as environmentally compatible alternatives to lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Two main categories of lead free perovskite piezoelectric ceramic systems were investigated as potential replacements to lead zirconate titanate (PZT) for actuator devices. First, solid solutions based on Li, Ta, and Sb modified (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN) lead-free perovskite systems were created using standard solid state methods. Secondly, Bi-based materials a variety of compositions were explored for (1-x)(Bi 0.5Na0.5)TiO3-xBi(Zn0.5Ti0.5)O 3 (BNT-BZT) and Bi(Zn0.5Ti0.5)O3-(Bi 0.5K0.5)TiO3-(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO 3 (BZT-BKT-BNT). It was shown that when BNT-BKT is combined with increasing concentrations of Bi(Zn1/2i1/2)O3 (BZT), a transition from normal ferroelectric behavior to a material with large electric field induced strains was observed. The higher BZT containing compositions are characterized by large hysteretic strains(> 0.3%) with no negative strains that might indicate domain switching. This work summarizes and analyzes the fatigue behavior of the new generation of Pb-free piezoelectric materials. In piezoelectric materials, fatigue is observed as a degradation in the electromechanical properties under the application of a bipolar or unipolar cyclic electrical load. In Pb-based materials such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), fatigue has been studied in great depth for both bulk and thin film applications. In PZT, fatigue can result from microcracking or electrode effects (especially in thin films). Ultimately, however, it is electronic and ionic point defects that are the most influential mechanism. Therefore, this work also analyzes the fatigue characteristics of bulk polycrystalline ceramics of the modified-KNN and BNT-BKT-BZT compositions developed. The defect chemistry that underpins the fatigue behavior will be examined and the results will be compared to the existing body of work on PZT. It will

  5. Advances in Lead-Free Piezoelectric Materials for Sensors and Actuators

    PubMed Central

    Aksel, Elena; Jones, Jacob L.

    2010-01-01

    Piezoelectrics have widespread use in today’s sensor and actuator technologies. However, most commercially available piezoelectric materials, e.g., Pb [ZrxTi1−x] O3 (PZT), are comprised of more than 60 weight percent lead (Pb). Due to its harmful effects, there is a strong impetus to identify new lead-free replacement materials with comparable properties to those of PZT. This review highlights recent developments in several lead-free piezoelectric materials including BaTiO3, Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3, K0.5Bi0.5TiO3, Na0.5K0.5NbO3, and their solid solutions. The factors that contribute to strong piezoelectric behavior are described and a summary of the properties for the various systems is provided. PMID:22294907

  6. Lead-free multilayer piezoelectric transformer.

    PubMed

    Guo, Mingsen; Jiang, X P; Lam, K H; Wang, S; Sun, C L; Chan, Helen L W; Zhao, X Z

    2007-01-01

    In this article, a multilayer piezoelectric transformer based on lead-free Mn-doped 0.94(Bi(12)Na(12))TiO(3)-0.06BaTiO(3) ceramics is presented. This piezoelectric transformer, with a multilayered construction in the thickness direction, is 8.3 mm long, 8.3 mm wide, and 2.3 mm thick. It operates in the second thickness extensional vibration mode. For a temperature rise of 20 degrees C, the transformer has an output power of >0.3 W. With a matching load resistance of 10 Omega, its maximum efficiency approaches 81.5%, and the maximum voltage gain is 0.14. It has potential to be used in low voltage power supply units such as low power adapter and other electronic circuits.

  7. Giant piezoelectricity in potassium-sodium niobate lead-free ceramics.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaopeng; Wu, Jiagang; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Cheng, Xiaojing; Zheng, Ting; Zhang, Binyu; Lou, Xiaojie; Wang, Xiangjian

    2014-02-19

    Environment protection and human health concern is the driving force to eliminate the lead from commercial piezoelectric materials. In 2004, Saito et al. [ Saito et al., Nature , 2004 , 432 , 84 . ] developed an alkali niobate-based perovskite solid solution with a peak piezoelectric constant d33 of 416 pC/N when prepared in the textured polycrystalline form, intriguing the enthusiasm of developing high-performance lead-free piezoceramics. Although much attention has been paid on the alkali niobate-based system in the past ten years, no significant breakthrough in its d33 has yet been attained. Here, we report an alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoceramic with the largest d33 of ∼490 pC/N ever reported so far using conventional solid-state method. In addition, this material system also exhibits excellent integrated performance with d33∼390-490 pC/N and TC∼217-304 °C by optimizing the compositions. This giant d33 of the alkali niobate-based lead-free piezoceramics is ascribed to not only the construction of a new rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary but also enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties. Our finding may pave the way for "lead-free at last".

  8. Fabrication and Characterization of Aligned Flexible Lead-Free Piezoelectric Nanofibers for Wearable Device Applications

    PubMed Central

    Ji, Sang Hyun; Yun, Ji Sun

    2018-01-01

    Flexible lead-free piezoelectric nanofibers, based on BNT-ST (0.78Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.22SrTiO3) ceramic and poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) copolymers, were fabricated by an electrospinning method and the effects of the degree of alignment in the nanofibers on the piezoelectric characteristics were investigated. The microstructure of the lead-free piezoelectric nanofibers was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and the orientation was analyzed by fast Fourier transform (FFT) images. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed that the phase was not changed by the electrospinning process and maintained a perovskite phase. Polarization-electric field (P-E) loops and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) were used to investigate the piezoelectric properties of the piezoelectric nanofibers, according to the degree of alignment—the well aligned piezoelectric nanofibers had higher piezoelectric properties. Furthermore, the output voltage of the aligned lead-free piezoelectric nanofibers was measured according to the vibration frequency and the bending motion and the aligned piezoelectric nanofibers with a collector rotation speed of 1500 rpm performed the best. PMID:29596372

  9. Potassium Sodium Niobate-Based Lead-Free Piezoelectric Multilayer Ceramics Co-Fired with Nickel Electrodes.

    PubMed

    Kawada, Shinichiro; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Ishii, Hideki; Kimura, Masahiko; Ando, Akira; Omiya, Suetake; Kubodera, Noriyuki

    2015-11-03

    Although lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have been extensively studied, many problems must still be overcome before they are suitable for practical use. One of the main problems is fabricating a multilayer structure, and one solution attracting growing interest is the use of lead-free multilayer piezoelectric ceramics. The paper reviews work that has been done by the authors on lead-free alkali niobate-based multilayer piezoelectric ceramics co-fired with nickel inner electrodes. Nickel inner electrodes have many advantages, such as high electromigration resistance, high interfacial strength with ceramics, and greater cost effectiveness than silver palladium inner electrodes. However, widely used lead zirconate titanate-based ceramics cannot be co-fired with nickel inner electrodes, and silver palladium inner electrodes are usually used for lead zirconate titanate-based piezoelectric ceramics. A possible alternative is lead-free ceramics co-fired with nickel inner electrodes. We have thus been developing lead-free alkali niobate-based multilayer ceramics co-fired with nickel inner electrodes. The normalized electric-field-induced thickness strain ( S max / E max ) of a representative alkali niobate-based multilayer ceramic structure with nickel inner electrodes was 360 pm/V, where S max denotes the maximum strain and E max denotes the maximum electric field. This value is about half that for the lead zirconate titanate-based ceramics that are widely used. However, a comparable value can be obtained by stacking more ceramic layers with smaller thicknesses. In the paper, the compositional design and process used to co-fire lead-free ceramics with nickel inner electrodes are introduced, and their piezoelectric properties and reliabilities are shown. Recent advances are introduced, and future development is discussed.

  10. Potassium Sodium Niobate-Based Lead-Free Piezoelectric Multilayer Ceramics Co-Fired with Nickel Electrodes

    PubMed Central

    Kawada, Shinichiro; Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Ishii, Hideki; Kimura, Masahiko; Ando, Akira; Omiya, Suetake; Kubodera, Noriyuki

    2015-01-01

    Although lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have been extensively studied, many problems must still be overcome before they are suitable for practical use. One of the main problems is fabricating a multilayer structure, and one solution attracting growing interest is the use of lead-free multilayer piezoelectric ceramics. The paper reviews work that has been done by the authors on lead-free alkali niobate-based multilayer piezoelectric ceramics co-fired with nickel inner electrodes. Nickel inner electrodes have many advantages, such as high electromigration resistance, high interfacial strength with ceramics, and greater cost effectiveness than silver palladium inner electrodes. However, widely used lead zirconate titanate-based ceramics cannot be co-fired with nickel inner electrodes, and silver palladium inner electrodes are usually used for lead zirconate titanate-based piezoelectric ceramics. A possible alternative is lead-free ceramics co-fired with nickel inner electrodes. We have thus been developing lead-free alkali niobate-based multilayer ceramics co-fired with nickel inner electrodes. The normalized electric-field-induced thickness strain (Smax/Emax) of a representative alkali niobate-based multilayer ceramic structure with nickel inner electrodes was 360 pm/V, where Smax denotes the maximum strain and Emax denotes the maximum electric field. This value is about half that for the lead zirconate titanate-based ceramics that are widely used. However, a comparable value can be obtained by stacking more ceramic layers with smaller thicknesses. In the paper, the compositional design and process used to co-fire lead-free ceramics with nickel inner electrodes are introduced, and their piezoelectric properties and reliabilities are shown. Recent advances are introduced, and future development is discussed. PMID:28793646

  11. Lead-free piezoelectrics based on potassium-sodium niobate with giant d(33).

    PubMed

    Zhang, Binyu; Wu, Jiagang; Cheng, Xiaojing; Wang, Xiaopeng; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Wang, Xiangjian; Lou, Xiaojie

    2013-08-28

    High-performance lead-free piezoelectrics (d33 > 400 pC/N) based on 0.96(K0.5Na0.5)0.95Li0.05Nb1-xSbxO3-0.04BaZrO3 with the rhombohedral-tetragonal (R-T) phase boundary have been designed and prepared. The R-T phase boundary lies the composition range of 0.04 ≤ x ≤ 0.07, and the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the ceramics with the compositions near the phase boundary are significantly enhanced. In addition, the ceramic with x = 0.07 has a giant d33 of ~425 pC/N, which is comparable to that (~416 pC/N) of textured KNN-based ceramics (Saito, Y.; Takao, H.; Tani, T.; Nonoyama, T.; Takatori, K.; Homma, T.; Nagaya, T.; Nakamura, M. Nature 2004, 432, 84). The underlying physical mechanisms for enhanced piezoelectric properties are addressed. We believe that the material system is the most promising lead-free piezoelectric candidates for the practical applications.

  12. Large field-induced strains in a lead-free piezoelectric material.

    PubMed

    Zhang, J X; Xiang, B; He, Q; Seidel, J; Zeches, R J; Yu, P; Yang, S Y; Wang, C H; Chu, Y-H; Martin, L W; Minor, A M; Ramesh, R

    2011-02-01

    Piezoelectric materials exhibit a mechanical response to electrical inputs, as well as an electrical response to mechanical inputs, which makes them useful in sensors and actuators. Lead-based piezoelectrics demonstrate a large mechanical response, but they also pose a health risk. The ferroelectric BiFeO(3) is an attractive alternative because it is lead-free, and because strain can stabilize BiFeO(3) phases with a structure that resembles a morphotropic phase boundary. Here we report a reversible electric-field-induced strain of over 5% in BiFeO(3) films, together with a characterization of the origins of this effect. In situ transmission electron microscopy coupled with nanoscale electrical and mechanical probing shows that large strains result from moving the boundaries between tetragonal- and rhombohedral-like phases, which changes the phase stability of the mixture. These results demonstrate the potential of BiFeO(3) as a substitute for lead-based materials in future piezoelectric applications.

  13. Large piezoelectric properties in KNN-based lead-free single crystals grown by a seed-free solid-state crystal growth method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jie; Zhang, Faqiang; Yang, Qunbao; Liu, Zhifu; Li, Yongxiang; Liu, Yun; Zhang, Qiming

    2016-05-01

    We report lead-free single crystals with a nominal formula of (K0.45Na0.55)0.96Li0.04NbO3 grown using a simple low-cost seed-free solid-state crystal growth method (SFSSCG). The crystals thus prepared can reach maximum dimensions of 6 mm × 5 mm × 2 mm and exhibit a large piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 689 pC/N. Moreover, the effective piezoelectric coefficient d33 * , obtained under a unipolar electric field of 30 kV/cm, can reach 967 pm/V. The large piezoelectric response plus the high Curie temperature (TC) of 432 °C indicate that SFSSCG is an effective approach to synthesize high-performance lead-free piezoelectric single crystals.

  14. Piezoelectric Active Humidity Sensors Based on Lead-Free NaNbO₃ Piezoelectric Nanofibers.

    PubMed

    Gu, Li; Zhou, Di; Cao, Jun Cheng

    2016-06-07

    The development of micro-/nano-scaled energy harvesters and the self-powered sensor system has attracted great attention due to the miniaturization and integration of the micro-device. In this work, lead-free NaNbO₃ piezoelectric nanofibers with a monoclinic perovskite structure were synthesized by the far-field electrospinning method. The flexible active humidity sensors were fabricated by transferring the nanofibers from silicon to a soft polymer substrate. The sensors exhibited outstanding piezoelectric energy-harvesting performance with output voltage up to 2 V during the vibration process. The output voltage generated by the NaNbO₃ sensors exhibited a negative correlation with the environmental humidity varying from 5% to 80%, where the peak-to-peak value of the output voltage generated by the sensors decreased from 0.40 to 0.07 V. The sensor also exhibited a short response time, good selectively against ethanol steam, and great temperature stability. The piezoelectric active humidity sensing property could be attributed to the increased leakage current in the NaNbO₃ nanofibers, which was generated due to proton hopping among the H₃O⁺ groups in the absorbed H₂O layers under the driving force of the piezoelectric potential.

  15. Theory-Guided Synthesis of a Metastable Lead-Free Piezoelectric Polymorph

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Garten, Lauren M; Ndione, Paul F; Beaton, Daniel A

    Many technologically critical materials are metastable under ambient conditions, yet the understanding of how to rationally design and guide the synthesis of these materials is limited. This work presents an integrated approach that targets a metastable lead-free piezoelectric polymorph of SrHfO3. First-principles calculations predict that the previous experimentally unrealized, metastable P4mm phase of SrHfO3 should exhibit a direct piezoelectric response (d33) of 36.9 pC N-1 (compared to d33 = 0 for the ground state). Combining computationally optimized substrate selection and synthesis conditions lead to the epitaxial stabilization of the polar P4mm phase of SrHfO3 on SrTiO3. The films are structurallymore » consistent with the theory predictions. A ferroelectric-induced large signal effective converse piezoelectric response of 5.2 pm V-1 for a 35 nm film is observed, indicating the ability to predict and target multifunctionality. This illustrates a coupled theory-experimental approach to the discovery and realization of new multifunctional polymorphs.« less

  16. Ultrahigh Piezoelectric Properties in Textured (K,Na)NbO3 -Based Lead-Free Ceramics.

    PubMed

    Li, Peng; Zhai, Jiwei; Shen, Bo; Zhang, Shujun; Li, Xiaolong; Zhu, Fangyuan; Zhang, Xingmin

    2018-02-01

    High-performance lead-free piezoelectric materials are in great demand for next-generation electronic devices to meet the requirement of environmentally sustainable society. Here, ultrahigh piezoelectric properties with piezoelectric coefficients (d 33 ≈700 pC N -1 , d 33 * ≈980 pm V -1 ) and planar electromechanical coupling factor (k p ≈76%) are achieved in highly textured (K,Na)NbO 3 (KNN)-based ceramics. The excellent piezoelectric properties can be explained by the strong anisotropic feature, optimized engineered domain configuration in the textured ceramics, and facilitated polarization rotation induced by the intermediate phase. In addition, the nanodomain structures with decreased domain wall energy and increased domain wall mobility also contribute to the ultrahigh piezoelectric properties. This work not only demonstrates the tremendous potential of KNN-based ceramics to replace lead-based piezoelectrics but also provides a good strategy to design high-performance piezoelectrics by controlling appropriate phase and crystallographic orientation. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Effect of poling process on piezoelectric properties of BCZT - 0.08 wt.% CeO{sub 2} lead-free ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chandrakala, E.; Praveen, J. Paul; Das, Dibakar, E-mail: ddse@uohyd.ernet.in

    2016-05-06

    The properties of lead free piezoelectric materials can be tuned by suitable doping in the A and B sites of the perovskite structure. In the present study, cerium has been identified as a dopant to investigate the piezoelectric properties of lead-free BCZT system. BCZT – 0.08 wt.%CeO{sub 2} lead-free ceramics have been synthesized using sol-gel technique and the effects of CeO{sub 2} dopant on their phase structure and piezoelectric properties were investigated systematically. Poling conditions, such as temperature, electric field, and poling time have been optimized to get enhanced piezoelectric response. The optimized poling conditions (50°C, 3Ec and 30min) resultedmore » in high piezoelectric charge coefficient d{sub 33} ~ 670pC/N, high electromechanical coupling coefficient k{sub p} ~ 60% and piezoelectric voltage coefficient g{sub 33} ~ 14 mV.m/N for BCZT – 0.08wt.% CeO{sub 2} ceramics.« less

  18. Theory-Guided Synthesis of a Metastable Lead-Free Piezoelectric Polymorph.

    PubMed

    Garten, Lauren M; Dwaraknath, Shyam; Walker, Julian; Mangum, John S; Ndione, Paul F; Park, Yoonsang; Beaton, Daniel A; Gopalan, Venkatraman; Gorman, Brian P; Schelhas, Laura T; Toney, Michael F; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan; Persson, Kristin A; Ginley, David S

    2018-05-10

    Many technologically critical materials are metastable under ambient conditions, yet the understanding of how to rationally design and guide the synthesis of these materials is limited. This work presents an integrated approach that targets a metastable lead-free piezoelectric polymorph of SrHfO 3 . First-principles calculations predict that the previous experimentally unrealized, metastable P4mm phase of SrHfO 3 should exhibit a direct piezoelectric response (d 33 ) of 36.9 pC N -1 (compared to d 33 = 0 for the ground state). Combining computationally optimized substrate selection and synthesis conditions lead to the epitaxial stabilization of the polar P4mm phase of SrHfO 3 on SrTiO 3 . The films are structurally consistent with the theory predictions. A ferroelectric-induced large signal effective converse piezoelectric response of 5.2 pm V -1 for a 35 nm film is observed, indicating the ability to predict and target multifunctionality. This illustrates a coupled theory-experimental approach to the discovery and realization of new multifunctional polymorphs. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Effect of aging on the piezoelectric properties of sol-gel derived lead-free BCZT ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandrakala, E.; Hazra, Binoy Krishna; Praveen, J. Paul; Das, Dibakar

    2018-04-01

    Aging is well observed in piezoelectric materials and plays a major role in determining the sustainabilityand performance issues of the piezoelectric based devices. Aging behavior is usually defined as the spontaneous decay of the piezoelectric properties with time. In this present study, the effect of aging on the piezoelectric properties of sol-gel derived lead-free BCZT ceramics has been investigated. During the aging process, the ferroelectric hysteresis loop was shifted along the field axis. The results revealed that the piezoelectric and dielectric properties were rapidly decreased linearly with increasing aging time and become stable with further increase in aging time. Piezoelectric (d33, g33 &kp) and dielectric properties (ɛr) were decreased approximately by 18% after 70 days. This could be due to the gradual stabilization of the ferroelectric domain structurewhich originates from the reorientation of the local defect dipoles and the migration of free oxygen vacancies towards the grain boundaries.

  20. Sintering of Lead-Free Piezoelectric Sodium Potassium Niobate Ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Malič, Barbara; Koruza, Jurij; Hreščak, Jitka; Bernard, Janez; Wang, Ke; Fisher, John G.; Benčan, Andreja

    2015-01-01

    The potassium sodium niobate, K0.5Na0.5NbO3, solid solution (KNN) is considered as one of the most promising, environment-friendly, lead-free candidates to replace highly efficient, lead-based piezoelectrics. Since the first reports of KNN, it has been recognized that obtaining phase-pure materials with a high density and a uniform, fine-grained microstructure is a major challenge. For this reason the present paper reviews the different methods for consolidating KNN ceramics. The difficulties involved in the solid-state synthesis of KNN powder, i.e., obtaining phase purity, the stoichiometry of the perovskite phase, and the chemical homogeneity, are discussed. The solid-state sintering of stoichiometric KNN is characterized by poor densification and an extremely narrow sintering-temperature range, which is close to the solidus temperature. A study of the initial sintering stage revealed that coarsening of the microstructure without densification contributes to a reduction of the driving force for sintering. The influences of the (K + Na)/Nb molar ratio, the presence of a liquid phase, chemical modifications (doping, complex solid solutions) and different atmospheres (i.e., defect chemistry) on the sintering are discussed. Special sintering techniques, such as pressure-assisted sintering and spark-plasma sintering, can be effective methods for enhancing the density of KNN ceramics. The sintering behavior of KNN is compared to that of a representative piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT). PMID:28793702

  1. Finite Element Study on Acoustic Energy Harvesting Using Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Anuruddh; Sharma, Anshul; Kumar, Rajeev; Vaish, Rahul

    2018-02-01

    In this article, a numerical investigation is performed for ambient acoustic energy harvesting at a low-frequency acoustic signal. A model of a quarter-wavelength resonator with a rectangular cross section is constructed, and piezoelectric-laminated bimorph plates are placed inside the system. Finite element modeling is implemented to numerically formulate the piezoelectric energy harvester. With the application of acoustic pressure at the open end of the resonator, amplified acoustic pressure inside the tube vibrates the piezolaminated bimorphs inside the tube, thus generating electric potential on the piezoelectric layers. To generate higher voltage and power in the acoustic harvester, multiple piezolaminated plates are positioned inside the resonator. The lead-free piezoelectric material K0.475Na0.475Li0.05 (Nb0.92Ta0.05Sb0.03)O3 (KNLNTS) is laminated on the host structure as a layer of piezoelectric material for the acoustic energy harvester. With the application of an acoustic sound pressure of 1 dB at the opening of the tube, a maximum output voltage of 16.3 V is measured at the first natural frequency, while the maximum power calculated is 0.033 mW. Maximum voltage is obtained when five piezoelectric bimorphs are place inside the resonator. At the second natural frequency, the maximum voltage measured is 8.40 V, obtained when eight piezoelectric bimorphs are placed inside the resonator, and the maximum power calculated is 0.020 mW.

  2. Lead-free piezoceramics.

    PubMed

    Saito, Yasuyoshi; Takao, Hisaaki; Tani, Toshihiko; Nonoyama, Tatsuhiko; Takatori, Kazumasa; Homma, Takahiko; Nagaya, Toshiatsu; Nakamura, Masaya

    2004-11-04

    Lead has recently been expelled from many commercial applications and materials (for example, from solder, glass and pottery glaze) owing to concerns regarding its toxicity. Lead zirconium titanate (PZT) ceramics are high-performance piezoelectric materials, which are widely used in sensors, actuators and other electronic devices; they contain more than 60 weight per cent lead. Although there has been a concerted effort to develop lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, no effective alternative to PZT has yet been found. Here we report a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic with an electric-field-induced strain comparable to typical actuator-grade PZT. We achieved this through the combination of the discovery of a morphotropic phase boundary in an alkaline niobate-based perovskite solid solution, and the development of a processing route leading to highly <001> textured polycrystals. The ceramic exhibits a piezoelectric constant d33 (the induced charge per unit force applied in the same direction) of above 300 picocoulombs per newton (pC N(-1)), and texturing the material leads to a peak d33 of 416 pC N(-1). The textured material also exhibits temperature-independent field-induced strain characteristics.

  3. Double-Mode Miniature Cantilever-Type Ultrasonic Motor Using Lead-Free Array-Type Multilayer Piezoelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doshida, Yutaka; Kishimoto, Sumiaki; Irieda, Taisei; Tamura, Hideki; Tomikawa, Yoshiro; Hirose, Seiji

    2008-05-01

    We studied the following to improve the characteristics of the lead-free ultrasonic micromotor. A double-mode miniature cantilever-type ultrasonic motor was fabricated using array-type multilayer piezoelectric ceramics (A-MLPC) of (Sr,Ca)2NaNb5O15 (SCNN) such as lead-free piezoelectric materials, and the electrical driving properties were investigated. The A-MLPC integrated multilayer piezoelectric ceramics (MLPC) arrayed in a 2 ×2 matrix. By using A-MLPC, double-mode bending vibration of the stator vibrator can be realized easily, and the quality factor of the vibrator increased. Furthermore, with the improvement of the piezoelectric properties of the SCNN, the electromechanical coupling coefficient of the vibrator increased. As a result, we succeeded in improving the driving properties of the motor. In particular, the driving voltage of SCNN motor decreased to 1/10 of the previous study, and this motor is similar to Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-Pb(Ni,Nb)O3-Pb(Zn,Nb)O3 (PZT) one in terms of properties by applying 3 times higher voltage than that required for the PZT one. The SCNN motor started to rotate at 0.3 Vp-p and showed such characteristics as revolution speed of 730 rpm, torque of 0.7 µN m, and efficiency of 3.5% at 1.6 Vp-p. It appeared that the SCNN motor was able to rotate by a lithium-ion cell used in the mobile equipment without an amplifier circuit.

  4. Doped ZrO2 for future lead free piezoelectric devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starschich, S.; Böttger, U.

    2018-01-01

    The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of doped ZrO2 prepared by chemical solution deposition (CSD) are investigated. Doping with different elements such as Mg, In, La, and Y leads to a stabilization of the constricted hysteresis. As shown in a previous work, for the constricted hysteresis of ZrO2, the piezoelectric response is significantly larger compared to ZrO2 with a normal hysteresis. The Mg doped ZrO2 shows a strong temperature and cycle stability. For the piezoelectric properties, a magnesium concentration of 7% shows the largest piezoelectric response with a piezoelectric coefficient of >10 pm/V, as well as the best cycle stability. Due to thicker films, which can be realized by the CSD technique, the shown doped ZrO2 films are a promising candidate for energy related applications such as piezoelectric energy harvesting as well as for microelectromechanical systems.

  5. Piezoelectric Properties of LiSbO3-Modified (K0.48Na0.52)NbO3 Lead-Free Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jiagang; Wang, Yuanyu; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Yu, Ping; Wu, Lang; Wu, Wenjuan

    2007-11-01

    Lead-free piezoelectric (1-x)(K0.48Na0.52)NbO3-xLiSbO3 [(1-x)KNN-xLS] ceramics were prepared by conventional sintering. A morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases was identified in the composition range of 0.04piezoelectric properties, temperature stability, and aging characteristics. It was found that the samples with 5 mol % LS exhibited enhanced electrical properties (d33˜ 262 pC/N, kp˜ 46%, Tc˜ 373 °C, To--t˜ 60 °C). These results show that (1-x)KNN-xLS ceramic is a promising lead-free piezoelectric material.

  6. Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3:ZnO lead-free piezoelectric composites with deferred thermal depolarization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Ji; Pan, Zhao; Nie, Peng-Xiao; Cui, Yu-Shuang; Yang, Bin; Chen, Jun; Zhang, Shan-Tao

    2015-06-01

    Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (BNT) is among the most promising lead-free piezoelectric candidates. However, depolarization of BNT is a longstanding obstacle for practical applications. Here, we report that piezoelectric composites of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3:xZnO (BNT:xZnO, where x is the mole ratio of ZnO to BNT) have deferred thermal depolarization. With increasing x from 0 to 0.4, the observed depolarization temperature (Td) tends to be deferred near x = 0.3, as confirmed by temperature dependent dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric measurements. As the result, the piezoelectric properties of the composites can be well maintained even after the poled composites are annealed at 125 °C. It is proposed that the charges stemming from ZnO can be orderly distributed to form a local field, which can keep the poling state of BNT, thus suppress the depolarization, even after the external poling filed is removed. These results may pave the way for applications of BNT-based piezoceramics and significantly improve our understanding of the depolarization mechanism by optimizing the performance of lead-free piezoelectrics.

  7. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of lead-free (Bi,Na)TiO3-based thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abazari, M.; Safari, A.; Bharadwaja, S. S. N.; Trolier-McKinstry, S.

    2010-02-01

    Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of morphotropic phase boundary (Bi,Na)TiO3-(Bi,K)TiO3-BaTiO3 epitaxial thin films deposited on SrRuO3 coated SrTiO3 substrates were reported. Thin films of 350 nm thickness exhibited small signal dielectric permittivity and loss tangent values of 750 and 0.15, respectively, at 1 kHz. Ferroelectric hysteresis measurements indicated a remanent polarization value of 30 μC/cm2 with a coercive field of 85-100 kV/cm. The thin film transverse piezoelectric coefficient (e31,f) of these films after poling at 600 kV/cm was found to be -2.2 C/m2. The results indicate that these BNT-based thin films are a potential candidate for lead-free piezoelectric devices.

  8. High performance Aurivillius phase sodium-potassium bismuth titanate lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with lithium and cerium modification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Chun-Ming; Wang, Jin-Feng

    2006-11-01

    The piezoelectric properties of the lithium and cerium modified A-site vacancies sodium-potassium bismuth titanate (NKBT) lead-free piezoceramics are investigated. The piezoelectric activity of NKBT ceramics is significantly improved by the modification of lithium and cerium. The Curie temperature TC, piezoelectric coefficient d33, and mechanical quality factor Qm for the NKBT ceramics modified with 0.10mol% (LiCe) are found to be 660°C, 25pC/N, and 3135, respectively. The Curie temperature gradually decreases from 675to650°C with the increase of (LiCe) modification. The dielectric spectroscopy shows that all the samples possess stable piezoelectric properties, demonstrating that the (LiCe) modified NKBT-based ceramics are the promising candidates for high temperature applications.

  9. Nanoscale characterization and local piezoelectric properties of lead-free KNN-LT-LS thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abazari, M.; Choi, T.; Cheong, S.-W.; Safari, A.

    2010-01-01

    We report the observation of domain structure and piezoelectric properties of pure and Mn-doped (K0.44,Na0.52,Li0.04)(Nb0.84,Ta0.1,Sb0.06)O3 (KNN-LT-LS) thin films on SrTiO3 substrates. It is revealed that, using piezoresponse force microscopy, ferroelectric domain structure in such 500 nm thin films comprised of primarily 180° domains. This was in accordance with the tetragonal structure of the films, confirmed by relative permittivity measurements and x-ray diffraction patterns. Effective piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of the films were calculated using piezoelectric displacement curves and shown to be ~53 pm V-1 for pure KNN-LT-LS thin films. This value is among the highest values reported for an epitaxial lead-free thin film and shows a great potential for KNN-LT-LS to serve as an alternative to PZT thin films in future applications.

  10. An equivalent dipole analysis of PZT ceramics and lead-free piezoelectric single crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Andrew J.

    2016-04-01

    The recently proposed Equivalent Dipole Model for describing the electromechanical properties of ionic solids in terms of 3 ions and 2 bonds has been applied to PZT ceramics and lead-free single crystal piezoelectric materials, providing analysis in terms of an effective ionic charge and the asymmetry of the interatomic force constants. For PZT it is shown that, as a function of composition across the morphotropic phase boundary, the dominant bond compliance peaks at 52% ZrO2. The stiffer of the two bonds shows little composition dependence with no anomaly at the phase boundary. The effective charge has a maximum value at 50% ZrO2, decreasing across the phase boundary region, but becoming constant in the rhombohedral phase. The single crystals confirm that both the asymmetry in the force constants and the magnitude of effective charge are equally important in determining the values of the piezoelectric charge coefficient and the electromechanical coupling coefficient. Both are apparently temperature dependent, increasing markedly on approaching the Curie temperature.

  11. Ferroelectric Domain Structure and Local Piezoelectric Properties of Lead-Free (Ka0.5Na0.5)NbO3 and BiFeO3-Based Piezoelectric Ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Alikin, Denis; Turygin, Anton; Kholkin, Andrei; Shur, Vladimir

    2017-01-01

    Recent advances in the development of novel methods for the local characterization of ferroelectric domains open up new opportunities not only to image, but also to control and to create desired domain configurations (domain engineering). The morphotropic and polymorphic phase boundaries that are frequently used to increase the electromechanical and dielectric performance of ferroelectric ceramics have a tremendous effect on the domain structure, which can serve as a signature of complex polarization states and link local and macroscopic piezoelectric and dielectric responses. This is especially important for the study of lead-free ferroelectric ceramics, which is currently replacing traditional lead-containing materials, and great efforts are devoted to increasing their performance to match that of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). In this work, we provide a short overview of the recent progress in the imaging of domain structure in two major families of ceramic lead-free systems based on BiFeO3 (BFO) and (Ka0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (KNN). This can be used as a guideline for the understanding of domain processes in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics and provide further insight into the mechanisms of structure–property relationship in these technologically important material families. PMID:28772408

  12. Stable and High Piezoelectric Output of GaN Nanowire-Based Lead-Free Piezoelectric Nanogenerator by Suppression of Internal Screening.

    PubMed

    Johar, Muhammad Ali; Hassan, Mostafa Afifi; Waseem, Aadil; Ha, Jun-Seok; Lee, June Key; Ryu, Sang-Wan

    2018-06-14

    A piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) that is based on c-axis GaN nanowires is fabricated on flexible substrate. In this regard, c-axis GaN nanowires were grown on GaN substrate using the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) technique by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Further, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was coated on nanowire-arrays then PDMS matrix embedded with GaN nanowire-arrays was transferred on Si-rubber substrate. The piezoelectric performance of nanowire-based flexible PNG was measured, while the device was actuated using a cyclic stretching-releasing agitation mechanism that was driven by a linear motor. The piezoelectric output was measured as a function of actuation frequency ranging from 1 Hz to 10 Hz and a linear tendency was observed for piezoelectric output current, while the output voltages remained constant. A maximum of piezoelectric open circuit voltages and short circuit current were measured 15.4 V and 85.6 nA, respectively. In order to evaluate the feasibility of our flexible PNG for real application, a long term stability test was performed for 20,000 cycles and the device performance was degraded by less than 18%. The underlying reason for the high piezoelectric output was attributed to the reduced free carriers inside nanowires due to surface Fermi-level pinning and insulating metal-dielectric-semiconductor interface, respectively; the former reduced the free carrier screening radially while latter reduced longitudinally. The flexibility and the high aspect ratio of GaN nanowire were the responsible factors for higher stability. Such higher piezoelectric output and the novel design make our device more promising for the diverse range of real applications.

  13. Giant Piezoelectricity and High Curie Temperature in Nanostructured Alkali Niobate Lead-Free Piezoceramics through Phase Coexistence.

    PubMed

    Wu, Bo; Wu, Haijun; Wu, Jiagang; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Pennycook, Stephen J

    2016-11-30

    Because of growing environmental concerns, the development of lead-free piezoelectric materials with enhanced properties has become of great interest. Here, we report a giant piezoelectric coefficient (d 33 ) of 550 pC/N and a high Curie temperature (T C ) of 237 °C in (1-x-y)K 1-w Na w Nb 1-z Sb z O 3- xBiFeO 3- yBi 0.5 Na 0.5 ZrO 3 (KN w NS z -xBF-yBNZ) ceramics by optimizing x, y, z, and w. Atomic-resolution polarization mapping by Z-contrast imaging reveals the intimate coexistence of rhombohedral (R) and tetragonal (T) phases inside nanodomains, that is, a structural origin for the R-T phase boundary in the present KNN system. Hence, the physical origin of high piezoelectric performance can be attributed to a nearly vanishing polarization anisotropy and thus low domain wall energy, facilitating easy polarization rotation between different states under an external field.

  14. Flexible High-Performance Lead-Free Na0.47K0.47Li0.06NbO3 Microcube-Structure-Based Piezoelectric Energy Harvester.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Manoj Kumar; Kim, Sang-Woo; Kumar, Binay

    2016-01-27

    Lead-free piezoelectric nano- and microstructure-based generators have recently attracted much attention due to the continuous demand of self-powered body implantable devices. We report the fabrication of a high-performance flexible piezoelectric microgenerator based on lead-free inorganic piezoelectric Na0.47K0.47Li0.06NbO3 (NKLN) microcubes for the first time. The composite generator is fabricated using NKLN microcubes and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer on a flexible substrate. The flexible device exhibits excellent performance with a large recordable piezoelectric output voltage of 48 V and output current density of 0.43 μA/cm(2) under vertical compressive force of 2 kgf, for which an energy conversion efficiency of about 11% has been achieved. Piezoresponse and ferroelectric studies reveal that NKLN microcubes exhibited high piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) as high as 460 pC/N and a well-defined hysteresis loops with remnant polarization and coercive field of 13.66 μC/cm(2) and 19.45 kV/cm, respectively. The piezoelectric charge generation mechanism from NKLN microgenerator are discussed in the light of the high d33 and alignment of electric dipoles in polymer matrix and dielectric constant of NKLN microcubes. It has been demonstrated that the developed power generator has the potential to generate high electric output power under mechanical vibration for powering biomedical devices in the near future.

  15. Properties of Miniature Cantilever-Type Ultrasonic Motor Using Lead-Free Array-Type Multilayer Piezoelectric Ceramics of (Sr,Ca)2NaNb5O15 under High Input Power

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doshida, Yutaka; Shimizu, Hiroyuki; Mizuno, Youich; Tamura, Hideki

    2012-07-01

    The properties of miniature cantilever-type ultrasonic motors using lead-free array-type multilayer piezoelectric ceramics of (Sr,Ca)2NaNb5O15 (SCNN) developed using the design rule were investigated under high input power by comparison with the high-power properties of SCNN ceramics. The frequency dependence of the revolution speed reflected the nonlinear behavior of SCNN ceramics with the hard-spring effect and showed a mirror-reversed image relative to that of the motor of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) ceramics. The output power increased linearly with increasing input power up to 110 mW without heat generation, and the driving properties were almost the same as the expectations under low input power. The output power density characteristics of the motors were high in comparison with those of the commercialized motors of PZT ceramics. It appeared that the motors have a high potential as an environmental friendly piezoelectric device with excellent properties, reflecting the high-power properties of SCNN ceramics.

  16. Fabrication and ferroelectric properties of highly dense lead-free piezoelectric (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 thick films by aerosol deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ryu, Jungho; Choi, Jong-Jin; Hahn, Byung-Dong; Park, Dong-Soo; Yoon, Woon-Ha; Kim, Ki-Hoon

    2007-04-01

    Lead-free piezoelectric thick films of (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 were fabricated by aerosol-deposition method. The thickness of KNN film was 7.1μm and fully dense films were obtained. The dielectric constants ɛ3T/ɛ0 of the as-deposited and annealed films at 1kHz were 116 and 545, respectively, which are higher than any previously reported values for lead-free piezoelectric thin/thick films, either without or with heat treatment. The ferroelectric properties were improved after annealing and the maximum values of Pr=8.1μC/cm3 and Ec=100kV/cm were achieved. These values are markedly superior to those of sintered KNN ceramic counterparts.

  17. (K, Na, Li)(Nb, Ta)O3:Mn lead-free single crystal with high piezoelectric properties

    PubMed Central

    Huo, Xiaoqing; Zhang, Rui; Zheng, Limei; Zhang, Shujun; Wang, Rui; Wang, Junjun; Sang, Shijing; Yang, Bin; Cao, Wenwu

    2016-01-01

    Lead-free single crystal, (K, Na, Li)(Nb, Ta)O3:Mn, was successfully grown using top-seeded solution growth method. Complete matrix of dielectric, piezoelectric and elastic constants for [001]C poled single crystal was determined. The piezoelectric coefficient d33 measured by the resonance method was 545 pC/N, which is almost three times that of its ceramic counterpart. The values measured by the Berlincourt meter ( d33∗=630pC/N) and strain-field curve ( d33∗∗=870pm/V) were even higher. The differences were assumed to relate with the different extrinsic contributions of domain wall vibration and domain wall translation during the measurements by different approaches, where the intrinsic contribution (on the order of 539 pm/V) was supposed to be the same. The crystal has ultrahigh electromechanical coupling factor (k33 ~ 95%) and high ultrasound velocity, which make it promising for high frequency medical transducer applications. PMID:27594704

  18. Effect of electrical and mechanical poling history on domain orientation and piezoelectric properties of soft and hard PZT ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marsilius, Mie; Granzow, Torsten; Jones, Jacob L.

    2011-02-01

    The superior piezoelectric properties of all polycrystalline ferroelectrics are based on the extent of non-180° domain wall motion under electrical and mechanical poling loads. To distinguish between 180° and non-180° domain wall motion in a soft-doped and a hard-doped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic, domain texture measurements were performed using x-ray and neutron diffraction after different loading procedures. Comparing the results to measurements of the remanent strain and piezoelectric coefficient allowed the differentiation between different microstructural contributions to the macroscopic parameters. Both types of ceramic showed similar behavior under electric field, but the hard-doped material was more susceptible to mechanical load. A considerable fraction of the piezoelectric coefficient originated from poling by the preferred orientation of 180° domains.

  19. Comparative face-shear piezoelectric properties of soft and hard PZT ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miao, Hongchen; Chen, Xi; Cai, Hairong; Li, Faxin

    2015-12-01

    The face-shear ( d 36 ) mode may be the most practical shear mode in piezoelectrics, while theoretically this mode cannot appear in piezoelectric ceramics because of its transversally isotropic symmetry. Recently, we realized piezoelectric coefficient d 36 up to 206pC/N in soft PbZr1-xTixO3 (PZT) ceramics via ferroelastic domain engineering [H. C. Miao and F. X. Li, Appl. Phys. Lett. 107, 122902 (2015)]. In this work, we further realized the face-shear mode in both hard and soft PZT ceramics including PZT-4 (hard), PZT-51(soft), and PZT-5H (soft) and investigated the electric properties systematically. The resonance methods are derived to measure the d 36 coefficients using both square patches and narrow bar samples, and the obtained values are consistent with that measured by a modified d 33 meter previously. For all samples, the pure d 36 mode can only appear near the resonance frequency, and the coupled d 36 - d 31 mode dominates off resonance. It is found that both the piezoelectric coefficient d 36 and the electromechanical coupling factor k 36 of soft PZT ceramics (PZT-5H and PZT-51) are considerably larger than those of the hard PZT ceramics (PZT-4). The obtained d 36 of 160-275pC/N, k 36 ˜ 0.24, and the mechanical quality factor Q 36 of 60-90 in soft PZT ceramics are comparable with the corresponding properties of the d 31 mode sample. Therefore, the d 36 mode in modified soft PZT ceramics is more promising for industrial applications such as face-shear resonators and shear horizontal wave generators.

  20. Correlation between the structure and the piezoelectric properties of lead-free (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Ta,Sb)O3 ceramics studied by XRD and Raman spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Rubio-Marcos, Fernando; Marchet, Pascal; Romero, Juan José; Fernández, Jose F

    2011-09-01

    This article reviews on the use of Raman spectroscopy for the study of (K,Na,Li)(Nb,Ta,Sb)O(3) lead-free piezoceramics. Currently, this material appears to be one of the most interesting and promising alternatives to the well-known PZT piezoelectric materials. In this work, we prepare piezoceramics with different stoichiometries and study their structural, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. By using both Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, we establish a direct correlation between the structure and the properties. The results demonstrate that the wavenumber of the A(1g) vibration is proportional to the tetragonality, the remnant polarization, and the piezoelectric coefficients of these materials. Thus, Raman spectroscopy appears as a very useful technique for a fast evaluation of the crystalline structure and the ferroelectric/ piezoelectric properties.

  1. Fabrication of piezoelectric ceramic micro-actuator and its reliability for hard disk drives.

    PubMed

    Jing, Yang; Luo, Jianbin; Yang, Wenyan; Ju, Guoxian

    2004-11-01

    A new U-type micro-actuator for precisely positioning a magnetic head in high-density hard disk drives was proposed and developed. The micro-actuator is composed of a U-type stainless steel substrate and two piezoelectric ceramic elements. Using a high-d31 piezoelectric coefficient PMN-PZT ceramic plate and adopting reactive ion etching process fabricate the piezoelectric elements. Reliability against temperature was investigated to ensure the practical application to the drive products. The U-type substrate attached to each side via piezoelectric elements also was simulated by the finite-element method and practically measured by a laser Doppler vibrometer in order to testify the driving mechanics of it. The micro-actuator coupled with two piezoelectric elements featured large displacement of 0.875 microm and high-resonance frequency over 22 kHz. The novel piezoelectric micro-actuators then possess a useful compromise performance to displacement, resonance frequency, and generative force. The results reveal that the new design concept provides a valuable alternative for multilayer piezoelectric micro-actuators.

  2. Development of a Lead-free Piezoelectric (K,Na)NbO3 Thin Film Deposited on Nickel-based Electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bani Milhim, Alaeddin

    It is desirable to replace noble metals used as electrode materials for piezoelectric thin film with base metals. This will reduce the piezoelectric thin film fabrication cost. A nickel?based layer in conjunction with other protective layers is proposed as a bottom electrode for lead-free piezoelectric KNN thin film. The obtained results do not indicate the oxidation of the nickel?based bottom electrode after the deposition of KNN at 600 °C for 10 hours in the presence of oxygen and/or after annealing the sample at 400 °C for an hour in air. The fabricated KNN thin film was fully characterized in this work. The effective piezoelectric coefficients d33 and d31 were estimated to be 37 pm/V and 17.2 pm/V, respectively, at 100 kV/cm. The piezoelectric properties of the fabricated KNN/Ni/Ti/SiO2/Si are affected by the crystal orientation of the KNN layer, which was preferentially oriented in the (110) direction. Optimization of the deposition parameters of the fabricated KNN/Ni/Ti/SiO2/Si film is expected to further enhance the piezoelectric properties. Two novel systems utilizing the developed KNN piezoelectric thin film are proposed and their performance simulated based on the achieved KNN thin film parameters. The first is a precision automated nanomanipulation system using an AFM as a sensor and piezo-actuated manipulators. Real-time feedback of the particle being manipulated can be achieved using the proposed system. The length of the manipulators needs to be at least 2 mm to be incorporated with a commercial AFM system. To fabricate the required manipulators, a three-step electrochemical etching technique was developed. Tungsten tips combining well-defined conical shape, a length as large as 2 mm, and sharpness with a radius of curvature of around 20 nm were fabricated using the proposed technique. By depositing the KNN thin film on the fabricated manipulator, nanomanipulators with out-of-plane actuation can be produced. Ultrasonic piezoelectric fan array, the

  3. Lead-free piezoelectric (K,Na)NbO3-based ceramic with planar-mode coupling coefficient comparable to that of conventional lead zirconate titanate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohbayashi, Kazushige; Matsuoka, Takayuki; Kitamura, Kazuaki; Yamada, Hideto; Hishida, Tomoko; Yamazaki, Masato

    2017-06-01

    We developed a (K,Na)NbO3-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramic with a KTiNbO5 system, (K1- x Na x )0.86Ca0.04Li0.02Nb0.85O3-δ-K0.85Ti0.85Nb1.15O5-BaZrO3-Fe2O3-MgO (K1- x N x N-NTK-FM). K1- x N x N-NTK-FM ceramic exhibits a very dense microstructure and a coupling coefficient of k p = 0.59, which is almost comparable to that of conventional lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The (K,Na)NbO3-based ceramic has the Γ15 mode for a wide x range. The nanodomains of orthorhombic (K,Na)NbO3 with the M3 mode coexist within the tetragonal Γ15 mode (K,Na)NbO3 matrix. Successive phase transition cannot occur with increasing x. The maximum k p is observed at approximately the minimum x required to generate the M3 mode phase. Unlike the behavior at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in PZT, the characteristics of K1- x N x N-NTK-FM ceramic in this region changed moderately. This gentle phase transition seems to be a relaxor, although the diffuseness degree is not in line with this hypothesis. Furthermore, piezoelectric properties change from “soft” to “hard” upon the M3 mode phase aggregation.

  4. Investigation of structural, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric properties of Ba0.92Ca0.08TiO3-BaTi0.96Zr0.04O3 lead-free electroceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keswani, Bhavna C.; Patil, S. I.; Kolekar, Y. D.

    2018-04-01

    Lead free ferroelectric with composition 0.55Ba0.92Ca0.08TiO3-0.45BaTi0.96Zr0.04O3 (BCT8-BZT4) was synthesized by solid state reaction method and investigated their structural, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric properties. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that BCT8-BZT4 ceramic possess both tetragonal (space group P4mm) and orthorhombic (space group Amm2) crystal structure which was further confirmed from Raman spectra spectroscopy. The micronized grains were observed from scanning electron micrographs while the presence of polarization-electric field hysteresis loop confirms ferroelectric nature of BCT8-BZT4 ceramic. Higher values of maximum polarization (Pmax = 22.27 μC/cm2), remnant polarization (Pr = 11.61 μC/cm2), coercive electric field (Ec = 4.77 kV/cm) and direct piezoelectric coefficient (d33) approximately 185 pC/N were observed. The real part of dielectric constant with frequency shows the usual dielectric dispersion behaviour at RT. The observed properties show that the lead free BCT8-BZT4 ceramic is suitable for ferroelectric memory device, piezoelectric sensor, capacitor, etc. applications.

  5. Magnetoelectric Interactions in Lead-Based and Lead-Free Composites.

    PubMed

    Bichurin, Mirza; Petrov, Vladimir; Zakharov, Anatoly; Kovalenko, Denis; Yang, Su Chul; Maurya, Deepam; Bedekar, Vishwas; Priya, Shashank

    2011-04-06

    Magnetoelectric (ME) composites that simultaneously exhibit ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism have recently gained significant attention as evident by the increasing number of publications. These research activities are direct results of the fact that multiferroic magnetoelectrics offer significant technological promise for multiple devices. Appropriate choice of phases with co-firing capability, magnetostriction and piezoelectric coefficient, such as Ni-PZT and NZFO-PZT, has resulted in fabrication of prototype components that promise transition. In this manuscript, we report the properties of Ni-PZT and NZFO-PZT composites in terms of ME voltage coefficients as a function of frequency and magnetic DC bias. In order to overcome the problem of toxicity of lead, we have conducted experiments with Pb-free piezoelectric compositions. Results are presented on the magnetoelectric performance of Ni-NKN, Ni-NBTBT and NZFO-NKN, NZFO-NBTBT systems illustrating their importance as an environmentally friendly alternative.

  6. Magnetoelectric Interactions in Lead-Based and Lead-Free Composites

    PubMed Central

    Bichurin, Mirza; Petrov, Vladimir; Zakharov, Anatoly; Kovalenko, Denis; Yang, Su Chul; Maurya, Deepam; Bedekar, Vishwas; Priya, Shashank

    2011-01-01

    Magnetoelectric (ME) composites that simultaneously exhibit ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism have recently gained significant attention as evident by the increasing number of publications. These research activities are direct results of the fact that multiferroic magnetoelectrics offer significant technological promise for multiple devices. Appropriate choice of phases with co-firing capability, magnetostriction and piezoelectric coefficient, such as Ni-PZT and NZFO-PZT, has resulted in fabrication of prototype components that promise transition. In this manuscript, we report the properties of Ni-PZT and NZFO-PZT composites in terms of ME voltage coefficients as a function of frequency and magnetic DC bias. In order to overcome the problem of toxicity of lead, we have conducted experiments with Pb-free piezoelectric compositions. Results are presented on the magnetoelectric performance of Ni-NKN, Ni-NBTBT and NZFO-NKN, NZFO-NBTBT systems illustrating their importance as an environmentally friendly alternative. PMID:28879946

  7. Piezoelectric Ceramics of the (1 - x)Bi0.50Na0.50TiO₃-xBa0.90Ca0.10TiO₃ Lead-Free Solid Solution: Chemical Shift of the Morphotropic Phase Boundary, a Case Study for x = 0.06.

    PubMed

    Vivar-Ocampo, Rodrigo; Pardo, Lorena; Ávila, David; Morán, Emilio; González, Amador M; Bucio, Lauro; Villafuerte-Castrejón, María-Elena

    2017-07-01

    Research and development of lead-free piezoelectric materials are still the hottest topics in the field of piezoelectricity. One of the most promising lead-free family of compounds to replace lead zirconate-titanate for actuators is that of Bi 0.50 Na 0.50 TiO₃ (BNT) based solid solutions. The pseudo-binary (1 - x )Bi 0.50 Na 0.50 TiO₃- x Ba 1 - y Ca y TiO₃ system has been proposed for high temperature capacitors and not yet fully explored as piezoelectric material. In this work, the solid solution with x = 0.06 and y = 0.10 was obtained by two different synthesis routes: solid state and Pechini, aiming at using reduced temperatures, both in synthesis (<800 °C) and sintering (<1150 °C), while maintaining appropriated piezoelectric performance. Crystal structure, ceramic grain size, and morphology depend on the synthesis route and were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, together with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The effects of processing and ceramic microstructure on the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties were discussed in terms of a shift of the Morphotropic Phase Boundary, chemically induced by the synthesis route.

  8. Structure and electrical properties of <001> textured (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Ti0.9Zr0.1)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, S. K.; Fuh, J. Y. H.; Lu, L.

    2012-06-01

    <001> textured (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Ti0.9Zr0.1)O3 (BCTZ) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by templated-grain growth method using BaTiO3 as template. The degree of orientation and the microstructure of the ceramics with different amount of template were investigated. The electrical properties of the textured-ceramics in the optimized condition were dramatically enhanced compared with randomly-oriented BCTZ ceramics. The textured BCTZ ceramics showed high piezoelectric constants d33 = 470 pC/N and d31 = -170 pC/N, and high electromechanical coupling factors kp = 44% and k31 = 22%. In addition, the Curie point of the textured ceramics revealed an increase with the template content.

  9. Giant strain with ultra-low hysteresis and high temperature stability in grain oriented lead-free K0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BaTiO3-Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 piezoelectric materials

    PubMed Central

    Maurya, Deepam; Zhou, Yuan; Wang, Yaojin; Yan, Yongke; Li, Jiefang; Viehland, Dwight; Priya, Shashank

    2015-01-01

    We synthesized grain-oriented lead-free piezoelectric materials in (K0.5Bi0.5TiO3-BaTiO3-xNa0.5Bi0.5TiO3 (KBT-BT-NBT) system with high degree of texturing along the [001]c (c-cubic) crystallographic orientation. We demonstrate giant field induced strain (~0.48%) with an ultra-low hysteresis along with enhanced piezoelectric response (d33 ~ 190pC/N) and high temperature stability (~160°C). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) results demonstrate smaller size highly ordered domain structure in grain-oriented specimen relative to the conventional polycrystalline ceramics. The grain oriented specimens exhibited a high degree of non-180° domain switching, in comparison to the randomly axed ones. These results indicate the effective solution to the lead-free piezoelectric materials. PMID:25716551

  10. Piezoelectric Ceramics of the (1 − x)Bi0.50Na0.50TiO3–xBa0.90Ca0.10TiO3 Lead-Free Solid Solution: Chemical Shift of the Morphotropic Phase Boundary, a Case Study for x = 0.06

    PubMed Central

    Vivar-Ocampo, Rodrigo; Pardo, Lorena; Ávila, David; Morán, Emilio; González, Amador M.; Bucio, Lauro; Villafuerte-Castrejón, María-Elena

    2017-01-01

    Research and development of lead-free piezoelectric materials are still the hottest topics in the field of piezoelectricity. One of the most promising lead-free family of compounds to replace lead zirconate–titanate for actuators is that of Bi0.50Na0.50TiO3 (BNT) based solid solutions. The pseudo-binary (1 − x)Bi0.50Na0.50TiO3–xBa1 − yCayTiO3 system has been proposed for high temperature capacitors and not yet fully explored as piezoelectric material. In this work, the solid solution with x = 0.06 and y = 0.10 was obtained by two different synthesis routes: solid state and Pechini, aiming at using reduced temperatures, both in synthesis (<800 °C) and sintering (<1150 °C), while maintaining appropriated piezoelectric performance. Crystal structure, ceramic grain size, and morphology depend on the synthesis route and were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, together with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The effects of processing and ceramic microstructure on the structural, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties were discussed in terms of a shift of the Morphotropic Phase Boundary, chemically induced by the synthesis route. PMID:28773096

  11. Relaxor ferroelectricity and electric-field-driven structural transformation in the giant lead-free piezoelectric (Ba ,Ca ) (Ti ,Zr ) O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brajesh, Kumar; Tanwar, Khagesh; Abebe, Mulualem; Ranjan, Rajeev

    2015-12-01

    There is great interest in lead-free (B a0.85C a0.15 ) (T i0.90Z r0.10 ) O3 (15/10BCTZ) because of its exceptionally large piezoelectric response [Liu and Ren, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 257602 (2009), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.257602]. In this paper, we have analyzed the nature of: (i) crystallographic phase coexistence at room temperature, (ii) temperature- and field-induced phase transformation to throw light on the atomistic mechanisms associated with the large piezoelectric response of this system. A detailed temperature-dependent dielectric and lattice thermal expansion study proved that the system exhibits a weak dielectric relaxation, characteristic of a relaxor ferroelectric material on the verge of exhibiting a normal ferroelectric-paraelectric transformation. Careful structural analysis revealed that a ferroelectric state at room temperature is composed of three phase coexistences, tetragonal (P 4 m m )+ orthorhombic(Amm 2 )+rhombohedral(R 3 m ) . We also demonstrate that the giant piezoresponse is associated with a significant fraction of the tetragonal phase transforming to rhombohedral. It is argued that the polar nanoregions associated with relaxor ferroelectricity amplify the piezoresponse by providing an additional degree of intrinsic structural inhomogeneity to the system.

  12. Active-passive hybrid piezoelectric actuators for high-precision hard disk drive servo systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Kwong Wah; Liao, Wei-Hsin

    2006-03-01

    Positioning precision is crucial to today's increasingly high-speed, high-capacity, high data density, and miniaturized hard disk drives (HDDs). The demand for higher bandwidth servo systems that can quickly and precisely position the read/write head on a high track density becomes more pressing. Recently, the idea of applying dual-stage actuators to track servo systems has been studied. The push-pull piezoelectric actuated devices have been developed as micro actuators for fine and fast positioning, while the voice coil motor functions as a large but coarse seeking. However, the current dual-stage actuator design uses piezoelectric patches only without passive damping. In this paper, we propose a dual-stage servo system using enhanced active-passive hybrid piezoelectric actuators. The proposed actuators will improve the existing dual-stage actuators for higher precision and shock resistance, due to the incorporation of passive damping in the design. We aim to develop this hybrid servo system not only to increase speed of track seeking but also to improve precision of track following servos in HDDs. New piezoelectrically actuated suspensions with passive damping have been designed and fabricated. In order to evaluate positioning and track following performances for the dual-stage track servo systems, experimental efforts are carried out to implement the synthesized active-passive suspension structure with enhanced piezoelectric actuators using a composite nonlinear feedback controller.

  13. Comprehensive biocompatibility of nontoxic and high-output flexible energy harvester using lead-free piezoceramic thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Chang Kyu; Han, Jae Hyun; Palneedi, Haribabu; Park, Hyewon; Hwang, Geon-Tae; Joung, Boyoung; Kim, Seong-Gon; Shin, Hong Ju; Kang, Il-Suk; Ryu, Jungho; Lee, Keon Jae

    2017-07-01

    Flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters have been regarded as an overarching candidate for achieving self-powered electronic systems for environmental sensors and biomedical devices using the self-sufficient electrical energy. In this research, we realize a flexible high-output and lead-free piezoelectric energy harvester by using the aerosol deposition method and the laser lift-off process. We also investigated the comprehensive biocompatibility of the lead-free piezoceramic device using ex-vivo ionic elusion and in vivo bioimplantation, as well as in vitro cell proliferation and histologic inspection. The fabricated LiNbO3-doped (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) thin film-based flexible energy harvester exhibited an outstanding piezoresponse, and average output performance of an open-circuit voltage of ˜130 V and a short-circuit current of ˜1.3 μ A under normal bending and release deformation, which is the best record among previously reported flexible lead-free piezoelectric energy harvesters. Although both the KNN and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) devices showed short-term biocompatibility in cellular and histological studies, excessive Pb toxic ions were eluted from the PZT in human serum and tap water. Moreover, the KNN-based flexible energy harvester was implanted into a porcine chest and generated up to ˜5 V and 700 nA from the heartbeat motion, comparable to the output of previously reported lead-based flexible energy harvesters. This work can compellingly serve to advance the development of piezoelectric energy harvesting for actual and practical biocompatible self-powered biomedical applications beyond restrictions of lead-based materials in long-term physiological and clinical aspects.

  14. A high output voltage flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator using porous lead-free KNbO3 nanofibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganeshkumar, Rajasekaran; Cheah, Chin Wei; Xu, Ruize; Kim, Sang-Gook; Zhao, Rong

    2017-07-01

    Self-powered nanodevices for applications such as sensor networks and IoTs are among the emerging technologies in electronics. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (P-NGs) that harvest energy from mechanical stimuli are highly valuable in the development of self-sufficient nanosystems. Despite progress in the development of P-NGs, the use of porous perovskite ferroelectric nanofibers was barely considered or discussed. In this letter, a flexible high output nanogenerator is fabricated using a nanocomposite comprising porous potassium niobate (KNbO3) nanofibers and polydimethylsiloxane. When a compressive force was applied to as-fabricated P-NG, a peak-to-peak output voltage of ˜16 V and a maximum closed circuit current of 230 nA were obtained, which are high enough to realize self-powered nanodevices. In addition, due to their porosity and non-toxic nature, KNbO3 nanofibers may be used as an alternative to the dominant lead-based piezoelectric devices. Besides the high output performance of the device, multifunctional capability, flexible design, and cost-effective construction of the as-fabricated P-NG can be crucial to large-scale deployment of autonomous devices.

  15. Fabrication of high-power piezoelectric transformers using lead-free ceramics for application in electronic ballasts.

    PubMed

    Yang, Song-Ling; Chen, Shih-Ming; Tsai, Cheng-Che; Hong, Cheng-Shong; Chu, Sheng-Yuan

    2013-02-01

    CuO is doped into (Na(0.5)K(0.5))NbO(3) (NKN) ceramics to improve the piezoelectric properties and thus obtain a piezoelectric transformer (PT) with high output power. In X-ray diffraction patterns, the diffraction angles of the CuO-doped NKN ceramics shift to lower values because of an expansion of the lattice volume, thus inducing oxygen vacancies and enhancing the mechanical quality factor. A homogeneous microstructure is obtained when NKN is subjected to CuO doping, leading to improved electrical properties. PTs with different electrode areas are fabricated using the CuO-doped NKN ceramics. Considering the efficiency, voltage gain, and temperature rise of PTs at a load resistance of 1 kΩ, PTs with an electrode with an inner diameter of 15 mm are combined with the circuit design for driving a 13-W T5 fluorescent lamp. A temperature rise of 6°C and a total efficiency of 82.4% (PT and circuit) are obtained using the present PTs.

  16. Giant strain with ultra-low hysteresis and high temperature stability in grain oriented lead-free K₀̣₅Bi₀̣₅TiO₃-BaTiO₃-Na₀̣₅Bi₀̣₅TiO₃ piezoelectric materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maurya, Deepam; Zhou, Yuan; Wang, Yaojin

    2015-02-26

    We synthesized grain-oriented lead-free piezoelectric materials in (K₀̣₅Bi₀̣₅TiO₃-BaTiO₃-xNa₀̣₅Bi₀̣₅TiO₃ (KBT-BT-NBT) system with high degree of texturing along the [001]c (c-cubic) crystallographic orientation. We demonstrate giant field induced strain (~0.48%) with an ultra-low hysteresis along with enhanced piezoelectric response (d₃₃ ~ 190pC/N) and high temperature stability (~160°C). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) results demonstrate smaller size highly ordered domain structure in grain-oriented specimen relative to the conventional polycrystalline ceramics. The grain oriented specimens exhibited a high degree of non-180° domain switching, in comparison to the randomly axed ones. These results indicate the effective solution to the lead-free piezoelectricmore » materials.« less

  17. A piezoelectric transformer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Won, C. C.

    1993-01-01

    This work describes a modeling and design method whereby a piezoelectric system is formulated by two sets of second-order equations, one for the mechanical system, and the other for the electrical system, coupled through the piezoelectric effect. The solution to this electromechanical coupled system gives a physical interpretation of the piezoelectric effect as a piezoelectric transformer that is a part of the piezoelectric system, which transfers the applied mechanical force into a force-controlled current source, and short circuit mechanical compliance into capacitance. It also transfers the voltage source into a voltage-controlled relative velocity input, and free motional capacitance into mechanical compliance. The formulation and interpretation simplify the modeling of smart structures and lead to physical insight that aids the designer. Due to its physical realization, the smart structural system can be unconditional stable and effectively control responses. This new concept has been demonstrated in three numerical examples for a simple piezoelectric system.

  18. Fabrication of lead-free piezoelectric Li2CO3-added (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Sn)O3 ceramics under controlled low oxygen partial pressure and their properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noritake, Kouta; Sakamoto, Wataru; Yuitoo, Isamu; Takeuchi, Teruaki; Hayashi, Koichiro; Yogo, Toshinobu

    2018-02-01

    Reduction-resistant lead-free (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Sn)O3 piezoceramics with high piezoelectric constants were fabricated by optimizing the amount of Li2CO3 added. Oxygen partial pressure was controlled during the sintering of (Ba,Ca)(Ti,Sn)O3 ceramics in a reducing atmosphere using H2-CO2 gas. Enhanced grain growth and a high-polarization state after poling treatment were achieved by adding Li2CO3. Optimizing the amount of Li2CO3 added to (Ba0.95Ca0.05)(Ti0.95Sn0.05)O3 ceramics sintered under a low oxygen partial pressure resulted in improved piezoelectric properties while maintaining the high sintered density. The prepared Li2CO3-added ceramic samples had homogeneous microstructures with a uniform dispersion of each major constituent element. However, the residual Li content in the 3 mol % Li2CO3-added (Ba0.95Ca0.05)(Ti0.95Sn0.05)O3 ceramics after sintering was less than 0.3 mol %. Sintered bodies of this ceramic prepared in a CO2 (1.5%)-H2 (0.3%)/Ar reducing atmosphere (PO2 = 10-8 atm at 1350 °C), exhibited sufficient electrical resistivity and a piezoelectric constant (d 33) exceeding 500 pC/N. The piezoelectric properties of this nonreducible ceramic were comparable or superior to those of the same ceramic sintered in air.

  19. Investigation of free vibration analysis of functionally graded annular piezoelectric plate using COMSOL

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Trivendra Kumar; Parashar, Sandeep Kumar

    2018-05-01

    In the present age functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPM) are increasingly being used as actuators and sensors. In spite of the fact that the piezoelectric coupling coefficient for shear d15 has much higher value in comparison to d31 or d33, it is far less utilized for the applications due to complex nature of the shear induced vibrations. In this work three dimensional free vibration analysis of functionally graded piezoelectric material annular plates with free-free boundary conditions is presented. The annular FGPM plate is polarized along the radial direction while the electric field is applied along the thickness direction inducing flexural vibrations of the plate due to d15 effect of functionally graded piezoelectric materials. The material properties are assumed to have a power law variation along the thickness. COMSOL Multiphysics is used to obtain the natural frequencies and modeshapes. Detailed numerical study is performed to ascertain the effect of variation in power law index and various geometrical parameters. The results presented shall be helpful in optimizing the existing applications and developing the new ones utilizing the FGPM annular plates.

  20. Comparative study of 2mol% Li- and Mn-substituted lead-free potassium sodium niobate ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dahiya, Asha; Thakur, O. P.; Juneja, J. K.; Singh, Sangeeta; Dipti

    2014-12-01

    The effect of Li and Mn substitution on the dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of lead free K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) was investigated. Samples were prepared using a conventional solid state reaction method. The sintering temperature for all the samples was 1050°C. The optimum doping concentration for the enhancement of different properties without the introduction of any other co-dopants such as Ti, Sb, and La was investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that all the samples crystallize in a single phase perovskite structure. The dielectric properties were investigated as a function of temperature and applied electric field frequency. Compared with Li-substituted KNN (KLNN), Mn-substituted KNN (KMNN) exhibited a higher dielectric constant ɛ max (i.e., 4840) at its critical transition temperature T c (i.e., 421°C) along with a lower value of tangent loss at 10 kHz and greater values of saturation polarisation P s (i.e., 20.14 μC/cm2) and remnant polarisation P r (i.e., 15.48 μC/cm2). The piezoelectric constant ( d 33) of KMNN was 178 pC/N, which is comparable to that of lead-based hard ceramics. The results presented herein suggest that B-site or Mn substitution at the optimum concentration results in good enhancement of different properties required for materials used in memory devices and other applications.

  1. Effects of improved process for CuO-doped NKN lead-free ceramics on high-power piezoelectric transformers.

    PubMed

    Yang, Song-Ling; Tsai, Cheng-Che; Liou, Yi-Cheng; Hong, Cheng-Shong; Li, Bing-Jing; Chu, Sheng-Yuan

    2011-12-01

    In this paper, the effects of the electrical proper- ties of CuO-doped (Na(0.5)K(0.5))NbO(3) (NKN) ceramics prepared separately using the B-site oxide precursor method (BO method) and conventional mixed-oxide method (MO method) on high-power piezoelectric transformers (PTs) were investigated. The performances of PTs made with these two substrates were compared. Experimental results showed that the output power and temperature stability of PTs could be enhanced because of the lower resonant impedance of the ceramics prepared using the BO method. In addition, the output power of PTs was more affected by the resonant impedance than by the mechanical quality factor (Q(m)) of the ceramics. The PTs fabricated with ceramics prepared using the BO method showed a high efficiency of more than 94% and a maximum output power of 8.98 W (power density: 18.3 W/cm(3)) with temperature increase of 3°C under the optimum load resistance (5 kΩ) and an input voltage of 150 V(pp). This output power of the lead-free disk-type PTs is the best reported so far.

  2. A brief review of Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3-(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics: Past, present and future perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yong; Sun, Huajun; Chen, Wen

    2018-03-01

    As one kind of most crucial and emerging lead-free piezoelectric systems, Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3-(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT) based lead-free piezoceramics have attracted worldwide attention in recent years. Much progress has been made, however, a summary which covers both the recent progress and the remained problems is urgently needed to further push this field forward. In this review, a brief background of the development of BCZT based lead-free piezoceramics was illustrated firstly. Then, the internal mechanism for the high piezoelectric response would be elaborated. Current research status was discussed in detail in the third section. Various strategies including: (1) Using distinct synthesis routes, (2) adopting different sintering techniques, (3) doping with foreign ions and/or second components, (4) grain size control, were exploited to improve the comprehensive performance and in turn broaden their application areas. In this part, some recently representative works were touched in detail and several existing problems were pointed out. Last, some critical comments (some thoughts related to the potential and future development of BCZT system) were given based on the current research status and existing problems. All in all, this review is devoted to summarizing the milestones in the past, classifying selected recent works and analyzing the prospects of BCZT based ceramics. It can be expected that, this first review that concentrates on BCZT based ceramics obviously would provide useful guidance for the research community.

  3. Low temperature synthesis & characterization of lead-free BCZT ceramics using molten salt method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jai Shree, K.; Chandrakala, E.; Das, Dibakar

    2018-04-01

    Piezoelectric properties are greatly influenced by the synthesis route, microstructure, stoichiometry of the chemical composition, purity of the starting materials. In this study, molten salt method was used to prepare lead-free BCZT ceramics. Molten salt method is one of the simplestmethods to prepare chemically-purified, single phase powders in high yield often at lower temperatures and shorten reaction time. Calcination of the molten salt synthesized powders resulted in asingle-phase perovskite structure at 1000 °C which is ˜ 350 °C less than the conventional solid-sate reaction method. With increasing calcination temperature the average template size was increased (˜ 0.5-2 µm). Formation of well dispersive templates improves the sinterability at lower temperatures. Lead-free BCZT ceramics sintered at 1500 °C for 2 h resulted in homogenous and highly dense microstructure with ˜92% of the theoretical density and a grain size of ˜ 35 µm. This highly dense microstructure could enhance the piezoelectric properties of the system.

  4. Lead-free 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 nanowires for energy harvesting.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Zhi; Bowland, Christopher C; Malakooti, Mohammad H; Tang, Haixiong; Sodano, Henry A

    2016-03-07

    Lead-free piezoelectric nanowires (NWs) show strong potential in sensing and energy harvesting applications due to their flexibility and ability to convert mechanical energy to electric energy. Currently, most lead-free piezoelectric NWs are produced through low yield synthesis methods and result in low electromechanical coupling, which limit their efficiency as energy harvesters. In order to alleviate these issues, a scalable method is developed to synthesize perovskite type 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-BCT) NWs with high piezoelectric coupling coefficient. The piezoelectric coupling coefficient of the BZT-BCT NWs is measured by a refined piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) testing method and shows the highest reported coupling coefficient for lead-free piezoelectric nanowires of 90 ± 5 pm V(-1). Flexible nanocomposites utilizing dispersed BZT-BCT NWs are fabricated to demonstrate an energy harvesting application with an open circuit voltage of up to 6.25 V and a power density of up to 2.25 μW cm(-3). The high electromechanical coupling coefficient and high power density demonstrated with these lead-free NWs produced via a scalable synthesis method shows the potential for high performance NW-based devices.

  5. Tetragonal (K, Na)NbO3 based lead-free single crystal: Growth, full tensor properties, and their orientation dependence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Limei; Wang, Junjun; Liu, Xuedong; Yang, Liya; Lu, Xiaoyan; Li, Yanran; Huo, Da; Lü, Weiming; Yang, Bin; Cao, Wenwu

    2017-10-01

    A Li and Ta modified (K, Na)NbO3 lead-free single crystal with a large size (13 × 10 × 20 mm3) has been grown by using the top-seeded solution growth method. The large size allows us to carry out an extensive study on this tetragonal crystal. We have measured a complete set of elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric constants for the [001]C poled crystal with the single domain state. The crystal exhibits high shear piezoelectricity with d15 = 518 pC/N and k15 = 0.733, showing excellent potential in shear electro-sonic energy transformation devices. It is found that the high shear piezoelectricity originates from the vicinity of orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition, which favors polarization rotation greatly. The orientation dependence of longitudinal dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic constants and electromechanical coupling factor in the 3-dimentional space were calculated based on the single domain dataset. We believe that this work is of great importance for both fundamental studies and device designs for lead-free materials.

  6. Piezoelectric Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) Ring Shaped Contour-Mode MEMS Resonators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kasambe, P. V.; Asgaonkar, V. V.; Bangera, A. D.; Lokre, A. S.; Rathod, S. S.; Bhoir, D. V.

    2018-02-01

    Flexibility in setting fundamental frequency of resonator independent of its motional resistance is one of the desired criteria in micro-electromechanical (MEMS) resonator design. It is observed that ring-shaped piezoelectric contour-mode MEMS resonators satisfy this design criterion than in case of rectangular plate MEMS resonators. Also ring-shaped contour-mode piezoelectric MEMS resonator has an advantage that its fundamental frequency is defined by in-plane dimensions, but they show variation of fundamental frequency with different Platinum (Pt) thickness referred as change in ratio of fNEW /fO . This paper presents the effects of variation in geometrical parameters and change in piezoelectric material on the resonant frequencies of Platinum piezoelectric-Aluminium ring-shaped contour-mode MEMS resonators and its electrical parameters. The proposed structure with Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) as the piezoelectric material was observed to be a piezoelectric material with minimal change in fundamental resonant frequency due to Platinum thickness variation. This structure was also found to exhibit extremely low motional resistance of 0.03 Ω as compared to the 31-35 Ω range obtained when using AlN as the piezoelectric material. CoventorWare 10 is used for the design, simulation and corresponding analysis of resonators which is Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis and design tool for MEMS devices.

  7. Reduction of Free Edge Peeling Stress of Laminated Composites Using Active Piezoelectric Layers

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Bin; Kim, Heung Soo

    2014-01-01

    An analytical approach is proposed in the reduction of free edge peeling stresses of laminated composites using active piezoelectric layers. The approach is the extended Kantorovich method which is an iterative method. Multiterms of trial function are employed and governing equations are derived by taking the principle of complementary virtual work. The solutions are obtained by solving a generalized eigenvalue problem. By this approach, the stresses automatically satisfy not only the traction-free boundary conditions, but also the free edge boundary conditions. Through the iteration processes, the free edge stresses converge very quickly. It is found that the peeling stresses generated by mechanical loadings are significantly reduced by applying a proper electric field to the piezoelectric actuators. PMID:25025088

  8. Fabrication and energy harvesting characteristics of unimorph piezoelectric cantilever generators with interdigitated electrode lead zirconate titanate laminates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Min-seon; Yun, Ji-sun; Park, Woon-ik; Hong, Youn-woo; Cho, Jeong-ho; Paik, Jong-hoo; Park, Yong Ho; Son, Chun-myung; Jeong, Young Hun

    2017-12-01

    Interdigitated electrode (IDE) unimorph piezoelectric cantilever generators (UPCGs) were fabricated and their energy harvesting characteristics were investigated. A hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) material with a high mechanical quality factor (Q m) of 1280 was used for the active piezoelectric film of the IDE UPCGs. Two different laminated IDE UPCGs were prepared; one has Ag/Pd interdigitated electrode (IDE) formed only on the top and bottom PZT sheets (D-IDE), while the other has Ag/Pd IDE on all of the PZT sheets (M-IDE). Cofiring was conducted at 1050 °C for 2 h for PZT laminates with IDEs. The fabricated IDE UPCGs exhibited power densities of 50.4 µW/cm3 for the D-IDE and 820 µW/cm3 for the M-IDE. The UPCG with the M-IDE exhibited a higher performance than that with the D-IDE. Specifically, a significantly enhanced normalized power factor of 670 µW/(g2·cm3) was found at 118 Hz across 100 kΩ.

  9. Ultrasonic power transfer from a spherical acoustic wave source to a free-free piezoelectric receiver: Modeling and experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shahab, S.; Gray, M.; Erturk, A., E-mail: alper.erturk@me.gatech.edu

    2015-03-14

    Contactless powering of small electronic components has lately received growing attention for wireless applications in which battery replacement or tethered charging is undesired or simply impossible, and ambient energy harvesting is not a viable solution. As an alternative to well-studied methods of contactless energy transfer, such as the inductive coupling method, the use of ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by piezoelectric devices enables larger power transmission distances, which is critical especially for deep-implanted electronic devices. Moreover, energy transfer by means of acoustic waves is well suited in situations where no electromagnetic fields are allowed. The limited literature of ultrasonic acousticmore » energy transfer is mainly centered on proof-of-concept experiments demonstrating the feasibility of this method, lacking experimentally validated modeling efforts for the resulting multiphysics problem that couples the source and receiver dynamics with domain acoustics. In this work, we present fully coupled analytical, numerical, and experimental multiphysics investigations for ultrasonic acoustic energy transfer from a spherical wave source to a piezoelectric receiver bar that operates in the 33-mode of piezoelectricity. The fluid-loaded piezoelectric receiver under free-free mechanical boundary conditions is shunted to an electrical load for quantifying the electrical power output for a given acoustic source strength of the transmitter. The analytical acoustic-piezoelectric structure interaction modeling framework is validated experimentally, and the effects of system parameters are reported along with optimal electrical loading and frequency conditions of the receiver.« less

  10. Dielectric, Piezoelectric, and Vibration Properties of the LiF-Doped (Ba0.95Ca0.05)(Ti0.93Sn0.07)O₃ Lead-Free Piezoceramic Sheets.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Chien-Min; Chen, Kai-Huang; Lee, Da-Huei; Jong, Fuh-Cheng; Chen, Mei-Li; Chang, Jhih-Kai

    2018-01-24

    By the conventional solid state reaction method, a small amount of lithium fluoride (LiF) was used as the sintering promoter to improve the sintering and piezoelectric characteristics of (Ba 0.95 Ca 0.05 )(Ti 0.93 Sn 0.07 )O₃ (BCTS) lead-free piezoceramic sheets. Using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the inferences of the crystalline and surface microstructures were obtained and analyzed. Then, the impedance analyzer and d 33 -meter were used to measure the dielectric and piezoelectric characteristics. In this study, the optimum sintering temperature of the BCTS sheets decreased from 1450 °C to 1390 °C due to LiF doping. For the 0.07 wt % LiF-doped BCTS sheets sintered at 1390 °C, the piezoelectric constant (d 33 ) is 413 pC/N, the electric-mechanical coupling coefficient (k p ) is 47.5%, the dielectric loss (tan δ) is 3.9%, and the dielectric constant (ε r ) is 8100, which are all close to or even better than that of the pure undoped BCTS ceramics. The Curie temperature also improved, from 85 °C for pure BCTS to 140 °C for BCTS-0.07 LiF sheets. Furthermore, by using the vibration system and fixing 1.5 g tip mass at the end of the sheets, as the vibration frequency is 20 Hz, the proposed piezoelectric ceramic sheets also reveal a good energy harvesting performance at the maximum output peak voltage of 4.6 V, which is large enough and can be applied in modern low-power electronic products.

  11. Domain wall motion and electromechanical strain in lead-free piezoelectrics: Insight from the model system (1 - x)Ba(Zr 0.2Ti 0.8)O 3-x(Ba 0.7Ca 0.3)TiO 3 using in situ high-energy X-ray diffraction during application of electric fields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tutuncu, Goknur; Li, Binzhi; Bowman, Keith

    The piezoelectric compositions (1 - x)Ba(Zr 0.2Ti 0.8)O 3–x(Ba 0.7Ca 0.3)TiO 3 (BZT-xBCT) span a model lead-free morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between room temperature rhombohedral and tetragonal phases at approximately x = 0.5. In the present work, in situ X-ray diffraction measurements during electric field application are used to elucidate the origin of electromechanical strain in several compositions spanning the tetragonal compositional range 0.6 ≤ x ≤ 0.9. As BCT concentration decreases towards the MPB, the tetragonal distortion (given by c/a-1) decreases concomitantly with an increase in 90° domain wall motion. The increase in observed macroscopic strain is predominantly attributedmore » to the increased contribution from 90° domain wall motion. The results demonstrate that domain wall motion is a significant factor in achieving high strain and piezoelectric coefficients in lead-free polycrystalline piezoelectrics.« less

  12. Enhanced torsional actuation and stress coupling in Mn-modified 0.93(Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3)-0.07BaTiO3 lead-free piezoceramic system

    PubMed Central

    Berik, Pelin; Maurya, Deepam; Kumar, Prashant; Kang, Min Gyu; Priya, Shashank

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This paper is concerned with the development of a piezoelectric d 15 shear-induced torsion actuator made of a lead-free piezoceramic material exhibiting giant piezoelectric shear stress coefficient (e 15) and piezoelectric transverse shear actuation force comparable to that of lead-based shear-mode piezoceramics. The Mn-modified 0.93(Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3)-0.07BaTiO3 (NBT-BT-Mn) composition exhibited excellent properties as a torsional transducer with piezoelectric shear stress coefficient on the order of 11.6 C m–2. The torsional transducer, consisting of two oppositely polarized NBT-BT-Mn d 15 mode piezoceramic shear patches, provided a rate of twist of 0.08 mm m–1 V–1 under quasi-static 150 V drive. The high value of piezoelectric shear d 15 coefficient in NBT-BT-Mn sample further demonstrated its potential in practical applications. These results confirm that the lead-free piezoceramics can be as effective as their lead-based counterparts. PMID:28179958

  13. Bismuth Sodium Titanate Based Materials for Piezoelectric Actuators

    PubMed Central

    Reichmann, Klaus; Feteira, Antonio; Li, Ming

    2015-01-01

    The ban of lead in many electronic products and the expectation that, sooner or later, this ban will include the currently exempt piezoelectric ceramics based on Lead-Zirconate-Titanate has motivated many research groups to look for lead-free substitutes. After a short overview on different classes of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with large strain, this review will focus on Bismuth-Sodium-Titanate and its solid solutions. These compounds exhibit extraordinarily high strain, due to a field induced phase transition, which makes them attractive for actuator applications. The structural features of these materials and the origin of the field-induced strain will be revised. Technologies for texturing, which increases the useable strain, will be introduced. Finally, the features that are relevant for the application of these materials in a multilayer design will be summarized. PMID:28793724

  14. Unleashing the Full Sustainable Potential of Thick Films of Lead-Free Potassium Sodium Niobate (K0.5Na0.5NbO3) by Aqueous Electrophoretic Deposition.

    PubMed

    Mahajan, Amit; Pinho, Rui; Dolhen, Morgane; Costa, M Elisabete; Vilarinho, Paula M

    2016-05-31

    A current challenge for the fabrication of functional oxide-based devices is related with the need of environmental and sustainable materials and processes. By considering both lead-free ferroelectrics of potassium sodium niobate (K0.5Na0.5NbO3, KNN) and aqueous-based electrophoretic deposition here we demonstrate that an eco-friendly aqueous solution-based process can be used to produce KNN thick coatings with improved electromechanical performance. KNN thick films on platinum substrates with thickness varying between 10 and 15 μm have a dielectric permittivity of 495, dielectric losses of 0.08 at 1 MHz, and a piezoelectric coefficient d33 of ∼70 pC/N. At TC these films display a relative permittivity of 2166 and loss tangent of 0.11 at 1 MHz. A comparison of the physical properties between these films and their bulk ceramics counterparts demonstrates the impact of the aqueous-based electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique for the preparation of lead-free ferroelectric thick films. This opens the door to the possible development of high-performance, lead-free piezoelectric thick films by a sustainable low-cost process, expanding the applicability of lead-free piezoelectrics.

  15. Improvement of the piezoelectric properties in (K,Na)NbO3-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramic with two-phase co-existing state

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamada, H.; Matsuoka, T.; Kozuka, H.; Yamazaki, M.; Ohbayashi, K.; Ida, T.

    2015-06-01

    Two phases of (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) co-exist in a KNN-based composite lead-free piezoelectric ceramic 0.910(K1-xNax)0.86Ca0.04Li0.02Nb0.85O3-δ-0.042K0.85Ti0.85Nb1.15O5-0.036BaZrO3-0.0016Co3O4- 0.0025Fe2O3-0.0069ZnO system, over a wide range of Na fractions, where 0.56 ≤ x ≤ 0.75. The crystal systems of the two KNN phases are identified to tetragonal and orthorhombic by analyzing the synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAD). In the range 0.33 ≤ x ≤ 0.50, the main component of the composite system is found to be single-phase KNN with a tetragonal structure. Granular nanodomains of the orthorhombic phase dispersed in the tetragonal matrix have been identified by HR-TEM and SAD for 0.56 ≤ x ≤ 0.75. Only a trace amount of the orthorhombic phase has been found in the SAD patterns at the composition x = 0.56. However, the number of orthorhombic nanodomains gradually increases with increasing Na content up to x < 0.75, as observed from the HR-TEM images. An abrupt increase and agglomeration of the nanodomains are observed at x = 0.75, where weak diffraction peaks of the orthorhombic phase have also become detectable from the XRD data. The maximum value of the electromechanical coupling coefficient, kp = 0.56, has been observed at the composition x = 0.56.

  16. Enhanced torsional actuation and stress coupling in Mn-modified 0.93(Na 0.5Bi 0.5TiO 3)-0.07BaTiO 3 lead-free piezoceramic system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berik, Pelin; Maurya, Deepam; Kumar, Prashant

    This paper is concerned with the development of a piezoelectric d 15 shear-induced torsion actuator made of a lead-free piezoceramic material exhibiting giant piezoelectric shear stress coefficient (e 15) and piezoelectric transverse shear actuation force comparable to that of leadbased shear-mode piezoceramics. The Mn-modified 0.93(Na 0.5Bi 0.5TiO 3)-0.07BaTiO 3 (NBT-BTMn) composition exhibited excellent properties as a torsional transducer with piezoelectric shear stress coefficient on the order of 11.6 C m –2. The torsional transducer, consisting of two oppositely polarized NBT-BT-Mn d 15 mode piezoceramic shear patches, provided a rate of twist of 0.08 mm m –1 V –1 under quasi-staticmore » 150 V drive. The high value of piezoelectric shear d 15 coefficient in NBT-BT-Mn sample further demonstrated its potential in practical applications. Lastly, these results confirm that the lead-free piezoceramics can be as effective as their lead-based counterparts.« less

  17. Enhanced torsional actuation and stress coupling in Mn-modified 0.93(Na 0.5Bi 0.5TiO 3)-0.07BaTiO 3 lead-free piezoceramic system

    DOE PAGES

    Berik, Pelin; Maurya, Deepam; Kumar, Prashant; ...

    2017-01-09

    This paper is concerned with the development of a piezoelectric d 15 shear-induced torsion actuator made of a lead-free piezoceramic material exhibiting giant piezoelectric shear stress coefficient (e 15) and piezoelectric transverse shear actuation force comparable to that of leadbased shear-mode piezoceramics. The Mn-modified 0.93(Na 0.5Bi 0.5TiO 3)-0.07BaTiO 3 (NBT-BTMn) composition exhibited excellent properties as a torsional transducer with piezoelectric shear stress coefficient on the order of 11.6 C m –2. The torsional transducer, consisting of two oppositely polarized NBT-BT-Mn d 15 mode piezoceramic shear patches, provided a rate of twist of 0.08 mm m –1 V –1 under quasi-staticmore » 150 V drive. The high value of piezoelectric shear d 15 coefficient in NBT-BT-Mn sample further demonstrated its potential in practical applications. Lastly, these results confirm that the lead-free piezoceramics can be as effective as their lead-based counterparts.« less

  18. Rate dependent direct inverse hysteresis compensation of piezoelectric micro-actuator used in dual-stage hard disk drive head positioning system.

    PubMed

    Rahman, Md Arifur; Al Mamun, Abdullah; Yao, Kui

    2015-08-01

    The head positioning servo system in hard disk drive is implemented nowadays using a dual-stage actuator—the primary stage consisting of a voice coil motor actuator providing long range motion and the secondary stage controlling the position of the read/write head with fine resolution. Piezoelectric micro-actuator made of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has been a popular choice for the secondary stage. However, PZT micro-actuator exhibits hysteresis—an inherent nonlinear characteristic of piezoelectric material. The advantage expected from using the secondary micro-actuator is somewhat lost by the hysteresis of the micro-actuator that contributes to tracking error. Hysteresis nonlinearity adversely affects the performance and, if not compensated, may cause inaccuracy and oscillation in the response. Compensation of hysteresis is therefore an important aspect for designing head-positioning servo system. This paper presents a new rate dependent model of hysteresis along with rigorous analysis and identification of the model. Parameters of the model are found using particle swarm optimization. Direct inverse of the proposed rate-dependent generalized Prandtl-Ishlinskii model is used as the hysteresis compensator. Effectiveness of the overall solution is underscored through experimental results.

  19. Piezoelectric potential gated field-effect transistor based on a free-standing ZnO wire.

    PubMed

    Fei, Peng; Yeh, Ping-Hung; Zhou, Jun; Xu, Sheng; Gao, Yifan; Song, Jinhui; Gu, Yudong; Huang, Yanyi; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2009-10-01

    We report an external force triggered field-effect transistor based on a free-standing piezoelectric fine wire (PFW). The device consists of an Ag source electrode and an Au drain electrode at two ends of a ZnO PFW, which were separated by an insulating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thin layer. The working principle of the sensor is proposed based on the piezoelectric potential gating effect. Once subjected to a mechanical impact, the bent ZnO PFW cantilever creates a piezoelectric potential distribution across it width at its root and simultaneously produces a local reverse depletion layer with much higher donor concentration than normal, which can dramatically change the current flowing from the source electrode to drain electrode when the device is under a fixed voltage bias. Due to the free-standing structure of the sensor device, it has a prompt response time less than 20 ms and quite high and stable sensitivity of 2%/microN. The effect from contact resistance has been ruled out.

  20. New potassium-sodium niobate lead-free piezoceramic: Giant-d33 vs. sintering temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jiagang; Wang, Xiaopeng; Cheng, Xiaojing; Zheng, Ting; Zhang, Binyu; Xiao, Dingquan; Zhu, Jianguo; Lou, Xiaojie

    2014-03-01

    The objective of this work is to achieve a giant piezoelectric constant in (K,Na)NbO3-based lead-free ceramics, and then 0.96K0.46Na0.54Nb0.95Sb0.05O3-0.04Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5ZrO3 lead-free piezoceramics were designed and prepared by optimizing the sintering temperature (TS). The rhombohedral-tetragonal phase boundary is found in the ceramics sintered at 1070 ˜ 1105 °C and is suppressed when sintered at low TS of 1060 ˜ 1065 °C. The threshold for TS is 1070 °C in terms of their ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties owing to the difference in the phase boundary and the microstructure, and a large d33 of 388 ˜ 465 pC/N could be attained in a wide TS range of 1070 ˜ 1105 °C, benefiting their practical applications because of broad TS. More interestingly, the ceramic sintered at 1075 °C has a giant d33 of ˜465 pC/N. We think that such a giant d33 of this material system can benefit the development of (K,Na)NbO3-based piezoceramics.

  1. Compact piezoelectric micromotor with a single bulk lead zirconate titanate stator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Liang; Lan, Hua; Jiao, Zongxia; Chen, Chin-Yin; Chen, I.-Ming

    2013-04-01

    The advance of micro/nanotechnology promotes the development of micromotors in recent years. In this article, a compact piezoelectric ultrasonic micromotor with a single bulk lead zirconate titanate stator is proposed. A traveling wave is generated by superposition of bending modes with 90° phase difference excited by d15 inverse piezoelectric effects. The operating principle simplifies the system structure significantly, and provides a miniaturization solution. A research prototype with the size of 0.75× 0.75×1.55 mm is developed. It can produce start-up torque of 0.27μNmand maximum speed of 2760 r/min at 14RMS.

  2. Polarization Switching and Light-Enhanced Piezoelectricity in Lead Halide Perovskites.

    PubMed

    Coll, Mariona; Gomez, Andrés; Mas-Marza, Elena; Almora, Osbel; Garcia-Belmonte, Germà; Campoy-Quiles, Mariano; Bisquert, Juan

    2015-04-16

    We investigate the ferroelectric properties of photovoltaic methylammonium lead halide CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite using piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) and macroscopic polarization methods. The electric polarization is clearly observed by amplitude and phase hysteresis loops. However, the polarization loop decreases as the frequency is lowered, persisting for a short time only, in the one second regime, indicating that CH3NH3PbI3 does not exhibit permanent polarization at room temperature. This result is confirmed by macroscopic polarization measurement based on a standard capacitive method. We have observed a strong increase of piezoelectric response under illumination, consistent with the previously reported giant photoinduced dielectric constant at low frequencies. We speculate that an intrinsic charge transfer photoinduced dipole in the perovskite cage may lie at the origin of this effect.

  3. Electric-field-induced phase transformation at a lead-free morphotropic phase boundary: Case study in a 93%(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-7% BaTiO3 piezoelectric ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daniels, John E.; Jo, Wook; Rödel, Jürgen; Jones, Jacob L.

    2009-07-01

    The electric-field-induced strain in 93%(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-7%BaTiO3 polycrystalline ceramic is shown to be the result of an electric-field-induced phase transformation from a pseudocubic to tetragonal symmetry. High-energy x-ray diffraction is used to illustrate the microstructural nature of the transformation. A combination of induced unit cell volumetric changes, domain texture, and anisotropic lattice strains are responsible for the observed macroscopic strain. This strain mechanism is not analogous to the high electric-field-induced strains observed in lead-based morphotropic phase boundary systems. Thus, systems which appear cubic under zero field should not be excluded from the search for lead-free piezoelectric compositions.

  4. Lead-free BNT-based composite materials: enhanced depolarization temperature and electromechanical behavior.

    PubMed

    Bai, Wangfeng; Zheng, Peng; Wen, Fei; Zhang, Jingji; Chen, Daqin; Zhai, Jiwei; Ji, Zhenguo

    2017-11-14

    The development of (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 -based solid solutions with both high depolarization temperature T d and excellent piezoelectric and electromechanical properties for practical application is intractable because improved thermal stability is usually accompanied by a deterioration in piezoelectric and electromechanical performance. Herein, we report a 0-3 type 0.93(Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 -0.07BaTiO 3  : 30 mol%ZnO composite (BNT-7BT : 0.3ZnO), in which the ZnO nanoparticles exist in two forms, to resolve the abovementioned long-standing obstacle. In this composite, Zn ions fill the boundaries of BNT-7BT grains, and residual Zn ions diffuse into the BNT-7BT lattice, as confirmed by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and microstructure analysis. The BNT-7BT composite ceramics with a 0-3 type connectivity exhibited enhanced frequency-dependent electromechanical properties, fatigue characteristics, and thermal stabilities. More importantly, low poling field-driven large piezoelectric properties were observed for the composite ceramics as compared to the case of the pure BNT-7BT solid solution. A mechanism related to the ZnO-driven phase transition from the rhombohedral to tetragonal phase and built-in electric field to partially compensate the depolarization field was proposed to explain the achieved outstanding piezoelectric performance. This is the first time that the thermal stability, electromechanical behavior, and low poling field-driven high piezoelectric performance of BNT-based ceramics have been simultaneously optimized. Thus, our study provides a referential methodology to achieve novel piezoceramics with excellent piezoelectricity by composite engineering and opens up a new development window for the utilization of conventional BNT-based and other lead-free ceramics in practical applications.

  5. High voltage generation from lead-free magnetoelectric coaxial nanotube arrays and their applications in nano energy harvesters.

    PubMed

    Lekha, C S Chitra; Kumar, Ajith S; Vivek, S; Rasi, U P Mohammed; Saravanan, K Venkata; Nandakumar, K; Nair, Swapna S

    2017-02-03

    Harvesting energy from surrounding vibrations and developing self-powered portable devices for wireless and mobile electronics have recently become popular. Here the authors demonstrate the synthesis of piezoelectric energy harvesters based on nanotube arrays by a wet chemical route, which requires no sophisticated instruments. The energy harvester gives an output voltage of 400 mV. Harvesting energy from a sinusoidal magnetic field is another interesting phenomenon for which the authors fabricated a magnetoelectric energy harvester based on piezoelectric-magnetostrictive coaxial nanotube arrays. Piezoelectric K 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO 3 (KNN) is fabricated as the shell and magnetostrictive CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO) as the core of the composite coaxial nanotubes. The delivered voltages are as high as 300 mV at 500 Hz and at a weak ac magnetic field of 100 Oe. Further tailoring of the thickness of the piezoelectric and magnetic layers can enhance the output voltage by several orders. Easy, single-step wet chemical synthesis enhances the industrial upscaling potential of these nanotubes as energy harvesters. In view of the excellent properties reported here, the lead-free piezoelectric component (KNN) in this nanocomposite should be explored for eco-friendly piezoelectric as well as magnetoelectric power generators in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).

  6. High voltage generation from lead-free magnetoelectric coaxial nanotube arrays and their applications in nano energy harvesters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lekha, C. S. Chitra; Kumar, Ajith S.; Vivek, S.; Rasi, U. P. Mohammed; Venkata Saravanan, K.; Nandakumar, K.; Nair, Swapna S.

    2017-02-01

    Harvesting energy from surrounding vibrations and developing self-powered portable devices for wireless and mobile electronics have recently become popular. Here the authors demonstrate the synthesis of piezoelectric energy harvesters based on nanotube arrays by a wet chemical route, which requires no sophisticated instruments. The energy harvester gives an output voltage of 400 mV. Harvesting energy from a sinusoidal magnetic field is another interesting phenomenon for which the authors fabricated a magnetoelectric energy harvester based on piezoelectric-magnetostrictive coaxial nanotube arrays. Piezoelectric K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) is fabricated as the shell and magnetostrictive CoFe2O4 (CFO) as the core of the composite coaxial nanotubes. The delivered voltages are as high as 300 mV at 500 Hz and at a weak ac magnetic field of 100 Oe. Further tailoring of the thickness of the piezoelectric and magnetic layers can enhance the output voltage by several orders. Easy, single-step wet chemical synthesis enhances the industrial upscaling potential of these nanotubes as energy harvesters. In view of the excellent properties reported here, the lead-free piezoelectric component (KNN) in this nanocomposite should be explored for eco-friendly piezoelectric as well as magnetoelectric power generators in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS).

  7. Unexpectedly high piezoelectricity of Sm-doped lead zirconate titanate in the Curie point region.

    PubMed

    Seshadri, Shruti B; Nolan, Michelle M; Tutuncu, Goknur; Forrester, Jennifer S; Sapper, Eva; Esteves, Giovanni; Granzow, Torsten; Thomas, Pam A; Nino, Juan C; Rojac, Tadej; Jones, Jacob L

    2018-03-07

    Large piezoelectric coefficients in polycrystalline lead zirconate titanate (PZT) are traditionally achieved through compositional design using a combination of chemical substitution with a donor dopant and adjustment of the zirconium to titanium compositional ratio to meet the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). In this work, a different route to large piezoelectricity is demonstrated. Results reveal unexpectedly high piezoelectric coefficients at elevated temperatures and compositions far from the MPB. At temperatures near the Curie point, doping with 2 at% Sm results in exceptionally large piezoelectric coefficients of up to 915 pm/V. This value is approximately twice those of other donor dopants (e.g., 477 pm/V for Nb and 435 pm/V for La). Structural changes during the phase transitions of Sm-doped PZT show a pseudo-cubic phase forming ≈50 °C below the Curie temperature. Possible origins of these effects are discussed and the high piezoelectricity is posited to be due to extrinsic effects. The enhancement of the mechanism at elevated temperatures is attributed to the coexistence of tetragonal and pseudo-cubic phases, which enables strain accommodation during electromechanical deformation and interphase boundary motion. This work provides insight into possible routes for designing high performance piezoelectrics which are alternatives to traditional methods relying on MPB compositions.

  8. Lead-free piezoelectrics: V3+ to V5+ ion conversion promoting the performances of V-doped Zinc Oxide.

    PubMed

    Laurenti, M; Castellino, M; Perrone, D; Asvarov, A; Canavese, G; Chiolerio, A

    2017-02-06

    Vanadium doped ZnO (VZO) thin films were grown by RF magnetron sputtering, starting from a ZnO:V ceramic target. The crystal structure, chemical composition, electric and piezoelectric properties of the films were investigated either on the as-grown thin films or after a post-deposition rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment performed at 600 °C for different lengths of time (1 and 5 min) in an oxygen atmosphere. Substitutional doping of Zn 2+ with V 3+ and V 5+ ions strongly deteriorated the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure of the as-grown thin films due to lattice distortion. The resulting slight amorphization led to a poor piezoelectric response and higher resistivity. After the RTA treatment, strong c-axis oriented VZO thin films were obtained, together with a partial conversion of the starting V 3+ ions into V 5+ . The improvement of the crystal structure and the stronger polarity of both V 3+ - O and V 5+ - O chemical bonds, together with the corresponding easier rotation under the application of an external electric field, positively affected the piezoelectric response and increased conductivity. This was confirmed by closed-loop butterfly piezoelectric curves, by a maximum d 33 piezoelectric coefficient of 85 pm·V -1 , and also by ferroelectric switching domains with a well-defined polarization hysteresis curve, featuring a residual polarization of 12.5 μC∙cm -2 .

  9. Lead-free piezoelectrics: V3+ to V5+ ion conversion promoting the performances of V-doped Zinc Oxide

    PubMed Central

    Laurenti, M.; Castellino, M.; Perrone, D.; Asvarov, A.; Canavese, G.; Chiolerio, A.

    2017-01-01

    Vanadium doped ZnO (VZO) thin films were grown by RF magnetron sputtering, starting from a ZnO:V ceramic target. The crystal structure, chemical composition, electric and piezoelectric properties of the films were investigated either on the as-grown thin films or after a post-deposition rapid thermal annealing (RTA) treatment performed at 600 °C for different lengths of time (1 and 5 min) in an oxygen atmosphere. Substitutional doping of Zn2+ with V3+ and V5+ ions strongly deteriorated the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure of the as-grown thin films due to lattice distortion. The resulting slight amorphization led to a poor piezoelectric response and higher resistivity. After the RTA treatment, strong c-axis oriented VZO thin films were obtained, together with a partial conversion of the starting V3+ ions into V5+. The improvement of the crystal structure and the stronger polarity of both V3+ – O and V5+ – O chemical bonds, together with the corresponding easier rotation under the application of an external electric field, positively affected the piezoelectric response and increased conductivity. This was confirmed by closed-loop butterfly piezoelectric curves, by a maximum d33 piezoelectric coefficient of 85 pm·V−1, and also by ferroelectric switching domains with a well-defined polarization hysteresis curve, featuring a residual polarization of 12.5 μC∙cm−2. PMID:28165040

  10. An Investigation of Dielectric, Piezoelectric Properties and Microstructures of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-BaTiO3-Bi0.5K0.5TiO3 Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics Doped with K2AlNbO5 Compound

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Gang; Jiang, Wentao; Liu, Kaihua; Liu, Xiaokui; Song, Chunlin; Yan, Yan; Jin, Li

    2017-08-01

    The effect of K2AlNbO5 compound acting as both donor and accepter on the phase, microstructures and electrical properties of the 0.9362(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.0637BaTiO3-0.02(Bi0.5K0.5)TiO3 [(1- x)(0.9163BNT-0.0637BT-0.02BKT)- x(K2AlNbO5)] (BNKBT-1000 xKAN) ternary lead-free piezoelectric ceramics was systematically investigated. When doping content of K2AlNbO5 was varied from 0 to 0.009, the BNKBT-1000 xKAN ceramics showed a single perovskite structure, and the phase structure transferred from a rhombohedral-tetragonal coexistent morphotropic phase boundaries zone to a tetragonal zone. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicated that the chemical valence of the Nb and Al element are 5+ and 3+, respectively. Strong relaxor characteristics were revealed by the temperature-dependent dielectric properties of the ceramics. Typical square polarization-electric field ( P- E) hysteresis loops were observed in the samples with doping content lower than 0.005. However, with further increasing the doping content ( x = 0.007 and 0.009), round P- E hysteresis loops were observed due to the high conductivity of these samples. Moreover, when the doping content was less than 0.005, the ceramic samples exhibited good piezoelectric properties. Specially, when the doping content was 0.001, the piezoelectric constant d 33 and electromechanical coupling coefficient k p of the sample were 197 pC/N and 22%, respectively. However, further addition would deteriorate both the dielectric and piezoelectric properties.

  11. Understanding the role of A-site and B-site cations on piezoelectric instability in lead--free (1-x) BaTiO3 -- xA(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3 (A = Sr, Ca, Ba) solid solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maurya, Deepam; Zhou, Yuan; Priya, Shashank

    2013-03-01

    This study provides fundamental understanding of the enhanced piezoelectric instability in lead-free piezoelectric (1-x) BaTiO3-xA(Cu1/3Nb2/3) O3(A: Sr, Ba and Ca and x = 0.0-0.03) solid solutions. These compositions were found to exhibit large longitudinal piezoelectric constant (d33) of ~330 pC/N and electromechanical planar coupling constant (kp) ~ 46% at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction coupled with atomic pair distribution functions (PDF)s indicated increase in local polarization. Raman scattering and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis revealed that substitutions on A and B-site both substantially perturbed the local octahedral dynamics and resulted in localized nano polar regions with lower symmetry. The presence of nano domains and local structural distortions smears the Curie peak resulting in diffuse order-disorder type phase transitions. The effect of these distortions on the variations in physical property was modeled and analyzed within the context of nanodomains and phase transitions. *spriya@vt.edu The financial support from National Science Foundation and Office of Basic Energy Science, Department of Energy (Microscopy analysis) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support from KIMS (new piezoelectric)

  12. Effect of Polymer Matrix on the Structure and Electric Properties of Piezoelectric Lead Zirconatetitanate/Polymer Composites

    PubMed Central

    Li, Rui; Zhou, Jun; Liu, Hujun; Pei, Jianzhong

    2017-01-01

    Piezoelectric lead zirconatetitanate (PZT)/polymer composites were prepared by two typical polymer matrixes using the hot-press method. The micromorphology, microstructure, dielectric properties, and piezoelectric properties of the PZT/polymer composites were characterized and investigated. The results showed that when the condition of frequency is 103 Hz, the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT/poly(vinylidene fluoride) were both better than that of PZT/polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When the volume fraction of PZT was 50%, PZT/PVDF prepared by the hot-press method had better comprehensive electric property. PMID:28805730

  13. Improving the machinability of leaded free cutting steel through process optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sathyamurthy, P.; Vetrivelmurugan, R.; Sooryaprakash, J.

    2018-02-01

    Free cutting steel grades are high sulphur grades which can be classified under two categories as Leaded and Non-Leaded. These grades are used for manufacturing components like Nuts, bolts, studs, hydraulic fittings, brake pistons where higher machining is required to get intricate shape. Machinability of these grades are affected by hard oxide inclusions and highly deformed manganese sulphide inclusions. At JSW, machinability of leaded free cutting steel is improved by various process modifications namely deoxidation through carbon and manganese, Tellurium (Rare earth element) addition and maintaining the oxygen level at 80- 120ppm. Former one avoids the formation of hard SiO2 and Al2O3 compounds, Tellurium addition forms PbTe compound at the tail of MnS inclusions which resists the deformation of MnS inclusions and increased oxygen level favours the formation of less deformable oxy- sulphide inclusions. Above process modifications have resulted in achieving the low silicate content, better aspect ratio of MnS inclusions in the final rolled product. They are assessed by the characteristics of chip formation and surface roughness of machined part.

  14. Lead-free bearing alloys for engine applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ratke, Lorenz; Ågren, John; Ludwig, Andreas; Tonn, Babette; Gránásy, László; Mathiesen, Ragnvald; Arnberg, Lars; Anger, Gerd; Reifenhäuser, Bernd; Lauer, Michael; Garen, Rune; Gust, Edgar

    2005-10-01

    Recent developments to reduce the fuel consumption, emission and air pollution, size and weight of engines for automotive, truck, ship propulsion and electrical power generation lead to temperature and load conditions within the engines that cannot be borne by conventional bearings. Presently, only costly multilayer bearings with electroplated or sputtered surface coatings can cope with the load/speed combinations required. Ecological considerations in recent years led to a ban by the European Commission on the use of lead in cars a problem for the standard bronze-lead bearing material. This MAP project is therefore developing an aluminium-based lead-free bearing material with sufficient hardness, wear and friction properties and good corrosion resistance. Only alloys made of components immiscible in the molten state can meet the demanding requirements. Space experimentation plays a crucial role in optimising the cast microstructure for such applications.

  15. Domain wall motion and electromechanical strain in lead-free piezoelectrics: Insight from the model system (1 − x)Ba(Zr{sub 0.2}Ti{sub 0.8})O{sub 3}–x(Ba{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3})TiO{sub 3} using in situ high-energy X-ray diffraction during application of electric fields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tutuncu, Goknur; Li, Binzhi; Bowman, Keith

    The piezoelectric compositions (1 − x)Ba(Zr{sub 0.2}Ti{sub 0.8})O{sub 3}–x(Ba{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3})TiO{sub 3} (BZT-xBCT) span a model lead-free morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between room temperature rhombohedral and tetragonal phases at approximately x = 0.5. In the present work, in situ X-ray diffraction measurements during electric field application are used to elucidate the origin of electromechanical strain in several compositions spanning the tetragonal compositional range 0.6 ≤ x ≤ 0.9. As BCT concentration decreases towards the MPB, the tetragonal distortion (given by c/a-1) decreases concomitantly with an increase in 90° domain wall motion. The increase in observed macroscopic strain is predominantly attributed to the increased contribution from 90°more » domain wall motion. The results demonstrate that domain wall motion is a significant factor in achieving high strain and piezoelectric coefficients in lead-free polycrystalline piezoelectrics.« less

  16. Identification of elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric constants in piezoceramic disks.

    PubMed

    Perez, Nicolas; Andrade, Marco A B; Buiochi, Flavio; Adamowski, Julio C

    2010-12-01

    Three-dimensional modeling of piezoelectric devices requires a precise knowledge of piezoelectric material parameters. The commonly used piezoelectric materials belong to the 6mm symmetry class, which have ten independent constants. In this work, a methodology to obtain precise material constants over a wide frequency band through finite element analysis of a piezoceramic disk is presented. Given an experimental electrical impedance curve and a first estimate for the piezoelectric material properties, the objective is to find the material properties that minimize the difference between the electrical impedance calculated by the finite element method and that obtained experimentally by an electrical impedance analyzer. The methodology consists of four basic steps: experimental measurement, identification of vibration modes and their sensitivity to material constants, a preliminary identification algorithm, and final refinement of the material constants using an optimization algorithm. The application of the methodology is exemplified using a hard lead zirconate titanate piezoceramic. The same methodology is applied to a soft piezoceramic. The errors in the identification of each parameter are statistically estimated in both cases, and are less than 0.6% for elastic constants, and less than 6.3% for dielectric and piezoelectric constants.

  17. Electrostatic solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using molecular dynamics with density functional theory interactions

    DOE PAGES

    Duignan, Timothy T.; Baer, Marcel D.; Schenter, Gregory K.; ...

    2017-07-26

    Determining the solvation free energies of single ions in water is one of the most fundamental problems in physical chemistry and yet many unresolved questions remain. In particular, the ability to decompose the solvation free energy into simple and intuitive contributions will have important implications for models of electrolyte solution. In this paper, we provide definitions of the various types of single ion solvation free energies based on different simulation protocols. We calculate solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using density functional theory interaction potentials with molecular dynamics simulation and isolate the effects of charge and cavitation, comparing tomore » the Born (linear response) model. We show that using uncorrected Ewald summation leads to unphysical values for the single ion solvation free energy and that charging free energies for cations are approximately linear as a function of charge but that there is a small non-linearity for small anions. The charge hydration asymmetry for hard spheres, determined with quantum mechanics, is much larger than for the analogous real ions. Finally, this suggests that real ions, particularly anions, are significantly more complex than simple charged hard spheres, a commonly employed representation.« less

  18. Electrostatic solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using molecular dynamics with density functional theory interactions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duignan, Timothy T.; Baer, Marcel D.; Schenter, Gregory K.

    Determining the solvation free energies of single ions in water is one of the most fundamental problems in physical chemistry and yet many unresolved questions remain. In particular, the ability to decompose the solvation free energy into simple and intuitive contributions will have important implications for models of electrolyte solution. In this paper, we provide definitions of the various types of single ion solvation free energies based on different simulation protocols. We calculate solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using density functional theory interaction potentials with molecular dynamics simulation and isolate the effects of charge and cavitation, comparing tomore » the Born (linear response) model. We show that using uncorrected Ewald summation leads to unphysical values for the single ion solvation free energy and that charging free energies for cations are approximately linear as a function of charge but that there is a small non-linearity for small anions. The charge hydration asymmetry for hard spheres, determined with quantum mechanics, is much larger than for the analogous real ions. Finally, this suggests that real ions, particularly anions, are significantly more complex than simple charged hard spheres, a commonly employed representation.« less

  19. Electrostatic solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using molecular dynamics with density functional theory interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duignan, Timothy T.; Baer, Marcel D.; Schenter, Gregory K.; Mundy, Chistopher J.

    2017-10-01

    Determining the solvation free energies of single ions in water is one of the most fundamental problems in physical chemistry and yet many unresolved questions remain. In particular, the ability to decompose the solvation free energy into simple and intuitive contributions will have important implications for models of electrolyte solution. Here, we provide definitions of the various types of single ion solvation free energies based on different simulation protocols. We calculate solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using density functional theory interaction potentials with molecular dynamics simulation and isolate the effects of charge and cavitation, comparing to the Born (linear response) model. We show that using uncorrected Ewald summation leads to unphysical values for the single ion solvation free energy and that charging free energies for cations are approximately linear as a function of charge but that there is a small non-linearity for small anions. The charge hydration asymmetry for hard spheres, determined with quantum mechanics, is much larger than for the analogous real ions. This suggests that real ions, particularly anions, are significantly more complex than simple charged hard spheres, a commonly employed representation.

  20. Enhanced temperature stability and quality factor with Hf substitution for Sn and MnO2 doping of (Ba0.97Ca0.03)(Ti0.96Sn0.04)O3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with high Curie temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsai, Cheng-Che; Chao, Wei-Hsiang; Chu, Sheng-Yuan; Hong, Cheng-Shong; Weng, Chung-Ming; Su, Hsiu-Hsien

    2016-12-01

    In this work, the process of two-stage modifications for (Ba0.97Ca0.03)(Ti0.96Sn0.04-xHfx)O3 (BCTS4-100xH100x) ceramics was studied. The trade-off composition was obtained by Hf substitution for Sn and MnO2 doping (two-stage modification) which improves the temperature stability and piezoelectric properties. The phase structure ratio, microstructure, and dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and temperature stability properties were systematically investigated. Results showed that BCTS4-100xH100x piezoelectric ceramics with x=0.035 had a relatively high Curie temperature (TC) of about 112 °C, a piezoelectric charge constant (d33) of 313 pC/N, an electromechanical coupling factor (kp) of 0.49, a mechanical quality factor (Qm) of 122, and a remnant polarization (Pr) of 19 μ C /cm2 . In addition, the temperature stability of the resonant frequency (fr), kp, and aging d33 could be tuned via Hf content. Good piezoelectric temperature stability (up to 110 °C) was found with x =0.035. BCTS0.5H3.5 + a mol% Mn (BCTSH + a Mn) piezoelectric ceramics with a = 2 had a high TC of about 123 °C, kp ˜ 0.39, d33 ˜ 230 pC/N, Qm ˜ 341, and high temperature stability due to the produced oxygen vacancies. This mechanism can be depicted using the complex impedance analysis associated with a valence compensation model on electric properties. Two-stage modification for lead-free (Ba0.97Ca0.03)(Ti0.96Sn0.04)O3 ceramics suitably adjusts the compositions for applications in piezoelectric motors and actuators.

  1. Flexible energy harvesting from hard piezoelectric beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delnavaz, Aidin; Voix, Jérémie

    2016-11-01

    This paper presents design, multiphysics finite element modeling and experimental validation of a new miniaturized PZT generator that integrates a bulk piezoelectric ceramic onto a flexible platform for energy harvesting from the human body pressing force. In spite of its flexibility, the mechanical structure of the proposed device is simple to fabricate and efficient for the energy conversion. The finite element model involves both mechanical and piezoelectric parts of the device coupled with the electrical circuit model. The energy harvester prototype was fabricated and tested under the low frequency periodic pressing force during 10 seconds. The experimental results show that several nano joules of electrical energy is stored in a capacitor that is quite significant given the size of the device. The finite element model is validated by observing a good agreement between experimental and simulation results. the validated model could be used for optimizing the device for energy harvesting from earcanal deformations.

  2. Microscopic origins of the large piezoelectricity of leadfree (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nahas, Yousra; Akbarzadeh, Alireza; Prokhorenko, Sergei; Prosandeev, Sergey; Walter, Raymond; Kornev, Igor; Íñiguez, Jorge; Bellaiche, L.

    2017-06-01

    In light of directives around the world to eliminate toxic materials in various technologies, finding lead-free materials with high piezoelectric responses constitutes an important current scientific goal. As such, the recent discovery of a large electromechanical conversion near room temperature in (1-x)Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 compounds has directed attention to understanding its origin. Here, we report the development of a large-scale atomistic scheme providing a microscopic insight into this technologically promising material. We find that its high piezoelectricity originates from the existence of large fluctuations of polarization in the orthorhombic state arising from the combination of a flat free-energy landscape, a fragmented local structure, and the narrow temperature window around room temperature at which this orthorhombic phase is the equilibrium state. In addition to deepening the current knowledge on piezoelectricity, these findings have the potential to guide the design of other lead-free materials with large electromechanical responses.

  3. AIBA as Free Radical Initiator for Abrasive-Free Polishing of Hard Disk Substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Hong; Ren, Xiaoyan

    2015-04-01

    In order to optimize the existing slurry for abrasive-free polishing (AFP) of a hard disk substrate, a water-soluble free radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AIBA) was introduced into H2O2-based slurry in the present work. Polishing experiment results with AIBA in the H2O2 slurry indicate that the material removal rate (MRR) increases and the polished surface has a lower surface roughness. The mechanism of AIBA in AFP was investigated using electron spin-resonance spectroscopy and UV-Visible analysis, which showed that the concentration of hydroxyl radical (a stronger oxidizer than H2O2) in the slurry was enhanced in the present of AIBA. The structure of the film formed on the substrate surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, auger electron spectroscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technology, showing that a looser and porous oxide film was found on the hard disk substrate surface when treated with the H2O2-AIBA slurry. Furthermore, potentiodynamic polarization tests show that the H2O2-AIBA slurry has a higher corrosion current density, implying that a fast dissolution reaction can occur on the substrate surface. Therefore, we can conclude that the stronger oxidation ability, loose oxide film on the substrate surface, and the higher corrosion-wear rate of the H2O2-AIBA slurry lead to the higher MRR.

  4. Piezoelectric bimorph optical-fiber sensor.

    PubMed

    Sun, Fengguo; Xiao, Gaozhi; Zhang, Zhiyi; Grover, Chander P

    2004-03-20

    We propose and demonstrate a novel high-voltage optical-fiber sensor. This sensor consists of an emitting fiber, a receiving fiber, and a piezoelectric bimorph transducer. The emitting fiber is fixed in a base, whereas the receiving fiber is mounted on the free end of the piezoelectric bimorph transducer. When a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric bimorph transducer, its free end is displaced over a distance delta. The displacement induces a loss in the optical coupling between the emitting and the receiving fiber. The voltage can be measured by monitoring the coupling loss.

  5. Enhanced piezoelectricity in A B O3 ferroelectrics via intrinsic stress-driven flattening of the free-energy profile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Yu; Li, Wei-Li; Yu, Yang; Jia, He-Nan; Qiao, Yu-Long; Fei, Wei-Dong

    2017-11-01

    An approach to greatly enhance the piezoelectric properties (˜4 00 pC/N) of the tetragonal BaTi O3 polycrystal using a small number of A -site acceptor-donor substitutions [D. Xu et al., Acta Mater. 79, 84 (2014), 10.1016/j.actamat.2014.07.023] has been proposed. In this study, Pb (ZrTi ) O3 (PZT) based polycrystals with various crystal symmetries (tetragonal, rhombohedral, and so on) were chosen to investigate the piezoelectricity enhancement mechanism. X-ray diffraction results show that doping generates an intrinsic uniaxial compressive stress along the [001] pc direction in the A B O3 lattices. Piezoelectric maps in the parameter space of temperature and Ti concentration in the PZT and doped system show a more significant enhancement effect of L i+-A l3 + codoping in tetragonal PZT than in the rhombohedral phase. Phenomenological thermodynamic analysis indicates that the compressive stress results in more serious flattening of the free-energy profile in tetragonal PZT, compared with that in the rhombohedral phase. The chemical stress obtained by this acceptor-donor codoping can be utilized to optimize the piezoelectric performance on the tetragonal-phase site of the morphotropic phase boundary in the PZT system. The present study provides a promising route to the large piezoelectric effect induced by chemical-stress-driven flattening of the free-energy profile.

  6. A review of the structure-property relationships in lead-free piezoelectric (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McQuade, Ryan R.; Dolgos, Michelle R., E-mail: Michelle.Dolgos@oregonstate.edu

    2016-10-15

    Piezoelectric materials are increasingly being investigated for energy harvesting applications where (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) is an important lead-free piezoelectric material with potential to be used as an actuator in energy harvesting devices. Much effort has been put into modifying NBT-BT to tune the properties for specific applications, but there is currently no consensus regarding the structure-property relationships in this material, making targeted, rational design a major challenge. In this review, we will summarize the current body of knowledge of NBT-BT and discuss contradicting studies, unresolved problems, and future directions in the field. - Graphical abstract: This reviewmore » of (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) summarizes the large body of literature regarding the structure-property relationships of this complex material. We highlight structural studies of the average and local structures of both unpoled and poled samples of NBT-BT at its morphotropic phase boundary and discuss them in context of the observed piezoelectric properties. - Highlights: • Local and average structure of NBT-BT at morphotropic phase boundary is reviewed. • Average structure of poled and unpoled samples of NBT-BT is discussed. • Structure-property relationships in NBT-BT and future directions are summarized.« less

  7. Lead-Free Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskites for Photovoltaic Applications: Recent Advances and Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Shi, Zejiao; Guo, Jia; Chen, Yonghua; Li, Qi; Pan, Yufeng; Zhang, Haijuan; Xia, Yingdong; Huang, Wei

    2017-04-01

    Organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskites (e.g., MAPbI 3 ) have recently emerged as novel active materials for photovoltaic applications with power conversion efficiency over 22%. Conventional perovskite solar cells (PSCs); however, suffer the issue that lead is toxic to the environment and organisms for a long time and is hard to excrete from the body. Therefore, it is imperative to find environmentally-friendly metal ions to replace lead for the further development of PSCs. Previous work has demonstrated that Sn, Ge, Cu, Bi, and Sb ions could be used as alternative ions in perovskite configurations to form a new environmentally-friendly lead-free perovskite structure. Here, we review recent progress on lead-free PSCs in terms of the theoretical insight and experimental explorations of the crystal structure of lead-free perovskite, thin film deposition, and device performance. We also discuss the importance of obtaining further understanding of the fundamental properties of lead-free hybrid perovskites, especially those related to photophysics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Piezoelectric control of needle-free transdermal drug delivery.

    PubMed

    Stachowiak, Jeanne C; von Muhlen, Marcio G; Li, Thomas H; Jalilian, Laleh; Parekh, Sapun H; Fletcher, Daniel A

    2007-12-04

    Transdermal drug delivery occurs primarily through hypodermic needle injections, which cause pain, require a trained administrator, and may contribute to the spread of disease. With the growing number of pharmaceutical therapies requiring transdermal delivery, an effective, safe, and simple needle-free alternative is needed. We present and characterize a needle-free jet injector that employs a piezoelectric actuator to accelerate a micron-scale stream of fluid (40-130 microm diameter) to velocities sufficient for skin penetration and drug delivery (50-160 m/s). Existing jet injectors, powered by compressed springs and gases, are not widely used due to painful injections and poor reliability in skin penetration depth and dose. In contrast, our device offers electronic control of the actuator expansion rate, resulting in direct control of jet velocity and thus the potential for more precise injections. We apply a simple fluid-dynamic model to predict the device response to actuator expansion. Further, we demonstrate that injection parameters including expelled volume, jet pressure, and penetration depth in soft materials vary with actuator expansion rate, but are highly coupled. Finally, we discuss how electronically-controlled jet injectors may enable the decoupling of injection parameters such as penetration depth and dose, improving the reliability of needle-free transdermal drug delivery.

  9. Giant piezoelectric size effects in zinc oxide and gallium nitride nanowires. A first principles investigation.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, Ravi; Espinosa, Horacio D

    2011-02-09

    Nanowires made of materials with noncentrosymmetric crystal structure are under investigation for their piezoelectric properties and suitability as building blocks for next-generation self-powered nanodevices. In this work, we investigate the size dependence of piezoelectric coefficients in nanowires of two such materials - zinc oxide and gallium nitride. Nanowires, oriented along their polar axis, ranging from 0.6 to 2.4 nm in diameter were modeled quantum mechanically. A giant piezoelectric size effect is identified for both GaN and ZnO nanowires. However, GaN exhibits a larger and more extended size dependence than ZnO. The observed size effect is discussed in the context of charge redistribution near the free surfaces leading to changes in local polarization. The study reveals that local changes in polarization and reduction of unit cell volume with respect to bulk values lead to the observed size effect. These results have strong implication in the field of energy harvesting, as piezoelectric voltage output scales with the piezoelectric coefficient.

  10. Approaching Piezoelectric Response of Pb-Piezoelectrics in Hydrothermally Synthesized Bi0.5(Na1- xK x)0.5TiO3 Nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Ghasemian, Mohammad Bagher; Rawal, Aditya; Liu, Yun; Wang, Danyang

    2018-06-20

    A large piezoelectric coefficient of 76 pm/V along the diameter direction, approaching that of lead-based piezoelectrics, is observed in hydrothermally synthesized Pb-free Bi 0.5 (Na 0.8 K 0.2 ) 0.5 TiO 3 nanotubes. The 30-50 nm diameter nanotubes are formed through a scrolling and wrapping mechanism without the need of a surfactant or template. A molar ratio of KOH/NaOH = 0.5 for the mineralizers yields the Na/K ratio of ∼0.8:0.2, corresponding to an orthorhombic-tetragonal (O-T) phase boundary composition. X-ray diffraction patterns along with transmission electron microscopy analysis ascertain the coexistence of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases with (110) and (001) orientations along the nanotube length direction, respectively. 23 Na NMR spectroscopy confirms the higher degree of disorder in Bi 0.5 (Na 1- x K x ) 0.5 TiO 3 nanotubes with O-T phase coexistence. These findings present a significant advance toward the application of Pb-free piezoelectric materials.

  11. Dog-Bone Horns for Piezoelectric Ultrasonic/Sonic Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Chang, Zensheu; Bao, Xiaoqi

    2007-01-01

    A shape reminiscent of a dog bone has been found to be superior to other shapes for mechanical-amplification horns that are components of piezoelectrically driven actuators used in a series of related devices denoted generally as ultrasonic/sonic drill/corers (USDCs). The first of these devices was reported in Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corers With Integrated Sensors (NPO-20856), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2001), page 38. The dog-bone shape was conceived especially for use in a more recent device in the series, denoted an ultrasonic/ sonic gopher, that was described in Ultrasonic/Sonic Mechanisms for Drilling and Coring (NPO-30291), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 9 (September 2003), page 65. The figure shows an example of a dog-bone-shaped horn and other components of an ultrasonic gopher. Prerequisite to a meaningful description of this development is an unavoidably lengthy recapitulation of the principle of operation of a USDC and, more specifically, of the ultrasonic/sonic gopher as described previously in NASA Tech Briefs. The ultrasonic actuator includes a stack of piezoelectric rings, the horn, a metal backing, and a bolt that connects the aforementioned parts and provides compressive pre-strain to the piezoelectric stack to prevent breakage of the rings during extension. The stack of piezoelectric rings is excited at the resonance frequency of the overall ultrasonic actuator. Through mechanical amplification by the horn, the displacement in the ultrasonic vibration reaches tens of microns at the tip of the horn. The horn hammers an object that is denoted the free mass because it is free to move longitudinally over a limited distance between hard stops: The free mass bounces back and forth between the ultrasonic horn and a tool bit (a drill bit or a corer). Because the longitudinal speed of the free mass is smaller than the longitudinal speed of vibration of the tip of the horn, contact between the free mass and the horn tip usually occurs at a

  12. Electrically Induced Strain and Polarization Fatigue in Lead-Free Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sommer, Daniel

    Piezoelectric ceramics have traditionally been used in commercial applications such as actuators and sensors. By far the most popular piezoceramics currently in use are Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-based (PZT) ceramics. PZT ceramics are able to produce large strain and polarization with the application of an electric field, and this is due to the Morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). A MPB is associated with the boundary between tetragonal and rhombohedral perovskite phases. A disadvantage of PZT ceramics is that they contain ? 60 wt. % of lead. Since lead is toxic, this poses an environmental and health hazard because lead is released into the surroundings during fabrication and disposal. Because of this, there is a push to discover lead-free alternatives that have comparable properties to PZT but none of the health risks. One possibility is Bi 1/2(Na0.8K0.2)1/2Ti0.985 Ta0.015O3 (BNKT-1.5Ta). In addition to comparable electrical properties, any lead-free alternatives must have decent fatigue resistance to be useful for applications. This thesis focuses on the fatigue properties of BNKT-1.5Ta. The composition demonstrates high strain for a given applied electric field. To determine the fatigue resistance of BNKT-1.5Ta, data was gathered on how strain and polarization changed over number of cycles. Furthermore, fatigue tests at different temperatures were performed to ascertain if temperature affected fatigue life. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and dielectric measurements were also collected to further examine any change in crystal structure and relative permittivity, respectively, before and after cycling.

  13. Compositional dependence of phase structure and electrical properties in (K0.42Na0.58)NbO3-LiSbO3 lead-free ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jiagang; Xiao, Dingquan; Wang, Yuanyu; Zhu, Jianguo; Yu, Ping; Jiang, Yihang

    2007-12-01

    (1-x)(K0.42Na0.58)NbO3-xLiSbO3 [(1-x)KNN-xLS] lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the conventional mixed oxide method. The compositional dependence of the phase structure and the electrical properties of the ceramics were studied. A morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases was identified in the composition range of 0.04piezoelectric properties. The ceramics with 5 mol. % LS exhibit enhanced electrical properties (d33˜270 pC/N, kp˜47.2%, Tc˜364 °C , To-t=35 °C, ɛr˜1412, tan δ ˜2.8%, and Pr˜25.7 μC/cm2; Ec˜11.1 kV/cm) and possess low dielectric loss (<2%) at 10 and 100 kHz at high temperature (250-400 °C). The low dielectric loss at high temperature is very important for high-temperature application of the ceramics. The related mechanism of the enhanced electrical properties of the ceramics was also discussed. These results show that (1-x)KNN-xLS (x =0.05) ceramic is a promising lead-free piezoelectric material.

  14. (100)-Textured KNN-based thick film with enhanced piezoelectric property for intravascular ultrasound imaging

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Benpeng; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Ma, Teng; Yang, Xiaofei; Li, Yongxiang; Shung, K. Kirk; Zhou, Qifa

    2015-01-01

    Using tape-casting technology, 35 μm free-standing (100)-textured Li doped KNN (KNLN) thick film was prepared by employing NaNbO3 (NN) as template. It exhibited similar piezoelectric behavior to lead containing materials: a longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of ∼150 pm/V and an electromechanical coupling coefficient (kt) of 0.44. Based on this thick film, a 52 MHz side-looking miniature transducer with a bandwidth of 61.5% at −6 dB was built for Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. In comparison with 40 MHz PMN-PT single crystal transducer, the rabbit aorta image had better resolution and higher noise-to-signal ratio, indicating that lead-free (100)-textured KNLN thick film may be suitable for IVUS (>50 MHz) imaging. PMID:25991874

  15. Computational search for rare-earth free hard-magnetic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flores Livas, José A.; Sharma, Sangeeta; Dewhurst, John Kay; Gross, Eberhard; MagMat Team

    2015-03-01

    It is difficult to over state the importance of hard magnets for human life in modern times; they enter every walk of our life from medical equipments (NMR) to transport (trains, planes, cars, etc) to electronic appliances (for house hold use to computers). All the known hard magnets in use today contain rare-earth elements, extraction of which is expensive and environmentally harmful. Rare-earths are also instrumental in tipping the balance of world economy as most of them are mined in limited specific parts of the world. Hence it would be ideal to have similar characteristics as a hard magnet but without or at least with reduced amount of rare-earths. This is the main goal of our work: search for rare-earth-free magnets. To do so we employ a combination of density functional theory and crystal prediction methods. The quantities which define a hard magnet are magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) and saturation magnetization (Ms), which are the quantities we maximize in search for an ideal magnet. In my talk I will present details of the computation search algorithm together with some potential newly discovered rare-earth free hard magnet. J.A.F.L. acknowledge financial support from EU's 7th Framework Marie-Curie scholarship program within the ``ExMaMa'' Project (329386).

  16. Understanding a reference-free impedance method using collocated piezoelectric transducers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Eun Jin; Kim, Min Koo; Sohn, Hoon; Park, Hyun Woo

    2010-03-01

    A new concept of a reference-free impedance method, which does not require direct comparison with a baseline impedance signal, is proposed for damage detection in a plate-like structure. A single pair of piezoelectric (PZT) wafers collocated on both surfaces of a plate are utilized for extracting electro-mechanical signatures (EMS) associated with mode conversion due to damage. A numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the EMS of collocated PZT wafers in the frequency domain at the presence of damage through spectral element analysis. Then, the EMS due to mode conversion induced by damage are extracted using the signal decomposition technique based on the polarization characteristics of the collocated PZT wafers. The effects of the size and the location of damage on the decomposed EMS are investigated as well. Finally, the applicability of the decomposed EMS to the reference-free damage diagnosis is discussed.

  17. Acceleration of osteogenesis by using barium titanate piezoelectric ceramic as an implant material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Furuya, K.; Morita, Y.; Tanaka, K.; Katayama, T.; Nakamachi, E.

    2011-04-01

    As bone has piezoelectric properties, it is expected that activity of bone cells and bone formation can be accelerated by applying piezoelectric ceramics to implants. Since lead ions, included in ordinary piezoelectric ceramics, are harmful, a barium titanate (BTO) ceramic, which is a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic, was used in this study. The purpose of this study was to investigate piezoelectric effects of surface charge of BTO on cell differentiation under dynamic loading in vitro. Rat bone marrow cells seeded on surfaces of BTO ceramics were cultured in culture medium supplemented with dexamethasone, β-glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid while a dynamic load was applied to the BTO ceramics. After 10 days of cultivation, the cell layer and synthesized matrix on the BTO surfaces were scraped off, and then DNA content, alkaline phosphtase (ALP) activity and calcium content were measured, to evaluate osteogenic differentiation. ALP activity on the charged BTO surface was slightly higher than that on the non-charged BTO surface. The amount of calcium on the charged BTO surface was also higher than that on the non-charged BTO surface. These results showed that the electric charged BTO surface accelerated osteogenesis.

  18. Electromechanical properties of lead zirconate titanate piezoceramics under the influence of mechanical stresses.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Q M; Zhao, J

    1999-01-01

    In lead zirconate titanate piezoceramics, external stresses can cause substantial changes in the piezoelectric coefficients, dielectric constant, and elastic compliance due to nonlinear effects and stress depoling effects. In both soft and hard PZT piezoceramics, the aging can produce a memory effect that will facilitate the recovery of the poled state in the ceramics from momentary electric or stress depoling. In hard PZT ceramics, the local defect fields built up during the aging process can stabilize the ceramic against external stress depoling that results in a marked increase in the piezoelectric coefficient and electromechanical coupling factor in the ceramic under the stress. Although soft PZT ceramics can be easily stress depoled (losing piezoelectricity), a DC bias electric field, parallel to the original poling direction, can be employed to maintain the ceramic poling state so that the ceramic can be used at high stresses without depoling.

  19. Removal of lead contaminated dusts from hard surfaces.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Roger D; Condoor, Sridhar; Batek, Joe; Ong, Kee Hean; Backer, Denis; Sterling, David; Siria, Jeff; Chen, John J; Ashley, Peter

    2006-01-15

    Government guidelines have widely recommended trisodium phosphate (TSP) or "lead-specific" cleaning detergents for removal of lead-contaminated dust (LCD) from hard surfaces, such as floors and window areas. The purpose of this study was to determine if low-phosphate, non-lead-specific cleaners could be used to efficiently remove LCD from 3 types of surfaces (vinyl flooring, wood, and wallpaper). Laboratory methods were developed and validated for simulating the doping, embedding, and sponge cleaning of the 3 surface types with 4 categories of cleaners: lead-specific detergents, nonionic cleaners, anionic cleaners, and trisodium phosphate (TSP). Vinyl flooring and wood were worn using artificial means. Materials were ashed, followed by ultrasound extraction, and anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). One-way analysis of variance approach was used to evaluate the surface and detergent effects. Surface type was found to be a significant factor in removal of lead (p < 0.001). Vinyl flooring cleaned better than wallpaper by over 14% and wood cleaned better than wallpaper by 13%. There was no difference between the cleaning action of vinyl flooring and wood. No evidence was found to support the use of TSP or lead-specific detergents over all-purpose cleaning detergents for removal of lead-contaminated dusts. No-phosphate, non-lead-specific detergents are effective in sponge cleaning of lead-contaminated hard surfaces and childhood lead prevention programs should consider recommending all-purpose household detergents for removal of lead-contaminated dust after appropriate vacuuming.

  20. Piezoelectric ceramic implants: in vivo results.

    PubMed

    Park, J B; Kelly, B J; Kenner, G H; von Recum, A F; Grether, M F; Coffeen, W W

    1981-01-01

    The suitability of barium titanate (BaTiO3) ceramic for direct substitution of hard tissues was evaluated using both electrically stimulated (piezoelectric) and inactive (nonpolarized) test implants. Textured cylindrical specimens, half of them made piezoelectric by polarization in a high electric field, were implanted into the cortex of the midshaft region of the femora of dogs for various periods of time. Interfacial healing and bio-compatibility of the implant material were studied using mechanical, microradiographical, and histological techniques. Our results indicate that barium titanate ceramic shows a very high degree of biocompatibility as evidenced by the absence of inflammatory or foreign body reactions at the implant-tissue interface. Furthermore, the material and its surface porosity allowed a high degree of bone ingrowth as evidenced by microradiography and a high degree of interfacial tensile strength. No difference was found between the piezoelectric and the electrically neutral implant-tissue interfaces. Possible reasons for this are discussed. The excellent mechanical properties of barium titanate, its superior biocompatibility, and the ability of bone to form a strong mechanical interfacial bond with it, makes this material a new candidate for further tests for hard tissue replacement.

  1. Domain structures and local switching in lead-free piezoceramics Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.90Zr0.10O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turygin, A. P.; Neradovskiy, M. M.; Naumova, N. A.; Zayats, D. V.; Coondoo, I.; Kholkin, A. L.; Shur, V. Ya.

    2015-08-01

    Lead-free piezoelectrics are becoming increasingly important in view of environmental problems of currently used lead-based perovskites such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT). One of the recent candidates for PZT replacement, solid solutions of BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 and Ba0.7Ca0.3TiO3, are investigated in this work by piezoresponse force microscopy. Coexistence of the tetragonal and rhombohedral phases in this material is observed, which probably gives rise to easy polarization switching due to multiple domain states. The period of observed domain lamella scales with the grain size obeying well-known square root dependence characteristic of BaTiO3 ceramics. Domain switching and relaxation are investigated at the nanoscale as a function of the applied voltage and duration of the applied voltage pulses. The observed distortion of piezoresponse hysteresis loops near grain boundaries is attested to the increased concentration of defects. Nanoscale piezoelectric properties of these materials are discussed.

  2. Lead zirconate titanate thin films directly on copper electrodes for ferroelectric, dielectric and piezoelectric applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kingon, Angus I.; Srinivasan, Sudarsan

    2005-03-01

    Replacement of noble metal electrodes by base metals significantly lowers the cost of ferroelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric devices. Here, we demonstrate that it is possible to process lead zirconate (Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3, or PZT) thin films directly on base metal copper foils. We explore the impact of the oxygen partial pressure during processing, and demonstrate that high-quality films and interfaces can be achieved through control of the oxygen partial pressure within a narrow window predicted by thermodynamic stability considerations. This demonstration has broad implications, opening up the possibility of the use of low-cost, high-conductivity copper electrodes for a range of Pb-based perovskite materials, including PZT films in embedded printed circuit board applications for capacitors, varactors and sensors; multilayer PZT piezoelectric stacks; and multilayer dielectric and electrostrictive devices based on lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate. We also point out that the capacitors do not fatigue on repeated switching, unlike those with Pt noble metal electrodes. Instead, they appear to be fatigue-resistant, like capacitors with oxide electrodes. This may have implications for ferroelectric non-volatile memories.

  3. Nanoindentation on SnAgCu lead-free solder joints and analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Luhua; Pang, John H. L.

    2006-12-01

    The lead-free SnAgCu (SAC) solder joint on copper pad with organic solderability preservative (Cu-OSP) and electroless nickel and immersion gold (ENIG) subjected to thermal testing leads to intermetallic growth. It causes corresponding reliability concerns at the interface. Nanoindentation characterization on SnAgCu solder alloy, intermetallic compounds (IMCs), and the substrates subjected to thermal aging is reported. The modulus and hardness of thin IMC layers were measured by nanoindentation continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) from planar IMC surface. When SAC/Ni(Au) solder joints were subject to thermal aging, the Young’s modulus of the NiCuSn IMC at the SAC/ENIG specimen changed from 207 GPa to 146 GPa with different aging times up to 500 h. The hardness decreased from 10.0 GPa to 7.3 GPa. For the SAC/Cu-OSP reaction couple, the Young’s modulus of Cu6Sn5 stayed constant at 97.0 GPa and hardness about 5.7 GPa. Electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) was used to thermal aging. The creep effect on the measured result was analyzed when measuring SnAgCu solder; it was found that the indentation penetration, and thus the hardness, is loading rate dependent. With the proposed constant P/P experiment, a constant indentation strain rate h/h and hardness could be achieved. The log-log plot of indentation strain rate versus hardness for the data from the constant P/P experiments yields a slope of 7.52. With the optimized test method and CSM Technique, the Modulus of SAC387 solder alloy and all the layers in a solder joint were investigated.

  4. Fabrication and characterization of thick-film piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate ceramic resonators by tape-casting.

    PubMed

    Qin, Lifeng; Sun, Yingying; Wang, Qing-Ming; Zhong, Youliang; Ou, Ming; Jiang, Zhishui; Tian, Wei

    2012-12-01

    In this paper, thick-film piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic resonators with thicknesses down to tens of micrometers have been fabricated by tape-casting processing. PZT ceramic resonators with composition near the morphotropic phase boundary and with different dopants added were prepared for piezoelectric transducer applications. Material property characterization for these thick-film PZT resonators is essential for device design and applications. For the property characterization, a recently developed normalized electrical impedance spectrum method was used to determine the electromechanical coefficient and the complex piezoelectric, elastic, and dielectric coefficients from the electrical measurement of resonators using thick films. In this work, nine PZT thick-film resonators have been fabricated and characterized, and two different types of resonators, namely thickness longitudinal and transverse modes, were used for material property characterization. The results were compared with those determined by the IEEE standard method, and they agreed well. It was found that depending on the PZT formulation and dopants, the relative permittivities ε(T)(33)/ε(0) measured at 2 kHz for these thick-films are in the range of 1527 to 4829, piezoelectric stress constants (e(33) in the range of 15 to 26 C/m(2), piezoelectric strain constants (d(31)) in the range of -169 × 10(-12) C/N to -314 × 10(-12) C/N, electromechanical coupling coefficients (k(t)) in the range of 0.48 to 0.53, and k(31) in the range of 0.35 to 0.38. The characterization results shows tape-casting processing can be used to fabricate high-quality PZT thick-film resonators, and the extracted material constants can be used to for device design and application.

  5. Experiments to demonstrate piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erhart, Jiří

    2013-07-01

    Piezoelectric and pyroelectric materials are used in many current applications. The purpose of this paper is to explain the basic properties of pyroelectric and piezoelectric effects and demonstrate them in simple experiments. Pyroelectricity is presented on lead zirconium titanate (PZT) ceramics as an electric charge generated by the temperature change. The direct piezoelectric effect is demonstrated by the electric charge generated from the bending of the piezoelectric ceramic membrane or from the gas igniter. The converse piezoelectric effect is presented in the experiments by the deflection of the bending piezoelectric element (piezoelectric bimorph).

  6. Fabrication and Characterization of (100),(001)-Oriented Reduction-Resistant Lead-Free Piezoelectric (Ba,Ca)TiO3 Ceramics Using Platelike Seed Crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ichikawa, Hiroki; Sakamoto, Wataru; Akiyama, Yoshikazu; Maiwa, Hiroshi; Moriya, Makoto; Yogo, Toshinobu

    2013-09-01

    The preparation of reduction-resistant (Ba,Ca)TiO3 ceramics as lead-free piezoelectric materials was studied. To improve their electrical properties, (100),(001)-oriented (Ba0.85Ca0.15)TiO3 ceramics were fabricated by the reactive templated grain growth method using a mixture of platelike CaTiO3 and BaTiO3 particles. The platelike CaTiO3 and BaTiO3 particles were prepared through a topochemical microcrystal conversion process using CaBi4Ti4O15 and BaBi4Ti4O15 plate-like precursor crystals. The 100 orientation degree of the grain-oriented (Ba0.85Ca0.15)TiO3 ceramics was 92%, as estimated by Lotgering's equation. In addition, 1 mol % Ba excess and 1 mol % Mn-doped (Ba0.85Ca0.15)TiO3 sintered bodies, which were sintered at 1350 °C in an Ar flow containing H2 (0.3%), had sufficient resistivity to allow the characterization of electrical properties. The ferroelectric and field-induced strain properties of the (Ba0.85Ca0.15)TiO3 ceramics, sintered in the reducing atmosphere, were markedly improved as a result of fabricating grain-oriented samples. The field-induced strain coefficient (estimated from the slope of the unipolar strain loop) of the nonreducible (100),(001)-oriented (Ba0.85Ca0.15)TiO3 ceramics reached 570 pm/V, which was higher than that of polycrystals (260 pm/V) with no preferential orientation.

  7. Preparation, crystal structure and enhanced bipolar response of 0.90BLNT-0.10BCT lead-free piezoceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pal, Vijayeta, E-mail: vijayetapal@yahoo.in; Dwivedi, R. K.; Kumar, A.

    2016-05-06

    In the present work, a solid solution of lead free 0.90[(Bi{sub 0.96}La{sub 0.04}){sub 0.5}Na{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}]-0.10(Ba{sub 0.90}Ca{sub 0.10}TiO{sub 3}] (abbreviated as 0.90BLNT-0.10BCT) piezoceramics has been synthesized by semi-wet technique. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the phase formation. Rietveld refinement of XRD data demonstrates the coexistence of rhombhohedral (R3c) + tetragonal (P4mm) phase at room temperature. Raman spectrum is also support the above analysis. A large enhancement in bipolar strain of 0.12 % and calculated normalized strain, d*{sub 33} (defined as S{sub max}/E{sub max}) ~ 265 pm/V at 40kV/cm has been observed for this composition as compared to pure BLNT specimen, whichmore » make possible it as a potential lead-free candidates for piezoelectric applications.« less

  8. Lead Barium Potassium Sodium Niobate Ceramics for Piezoelectric Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sambasiva Rao, K.; Vallisnath, N.; Prasad, T. N. V. K. V.; Ch. Varada Rajulu, K.; Tilak, B.; Lee, Joon Hyung

    This paper reports a systematic study of tungsten bronze morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) system Pb2-2X-3Y/2Ba2xREyK1-xNaxNb5O15, where, x = 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, RE = Pr and Bi and y = 0.05 and their structure, microstructure, hysteresis, dielectric, piezoelectric, and Pyroelectric properties. Enhanced piezoelectric constants kp, kt, k31, d31, d33, g31, g33, S11 E as 30.8%, 47.6%, 18.9%, 57 × 10-12 C/N, 159 × 10-12 C/N, 6.89 × 10-3 mV/N, 19.23 × 10-3 mV/N, and 13.88 × 10-12 m2/N respectively are observed in the composition for which y = 0, and x = 0.30, which is above MPB. Also, a change in thickness, 0.0159 μm has been developed for a thickness of the sample 1.2 mm, d33 = 159 × 10-12 C/N and for an applied voltage of 100 V. The same material produces a length extension, 0.0475 μm for d31 = 57 × 10-12 C/N, l = 10 mm, t = 1.2 mm, for an applied voltage of 100 V. Thus the material may be useful for a piezoelectric transducer. Enhanced piezoelectric coefficients, d31 = 96 × 10-12 C/N and g33 = 12.95 × 10-3 mV/N are also observed in the composition for which RE = Pr and x = 0.25.

  9. Robust solder joint attachment of coaxial cable leads to piezoelectric ceramic electrodes.

    PubMed

    Vianco, P T

    1993-01-01

    A technique was developed for the solder attachment of coaxial cable leads to silver-bearing thick-film electrodes on piezoelectric ceramics. Soldering the cable leads directly to the thick film caused bonds with low mechanical strength due to poor solder joint geometry. A barrier coating of 1.5 mum Cu/1.5 mum Ni/1.0 mum Sn deposited on the thick-film layer improved the strength of the solder joints by eliminating the adsorption of Ag from the thick film, which was responsible for the improper solder joint geometry. The procedure does not require special preparation of the electrode surface and is cost effective due to the use of nonprecious metal films and the batch processing capabilities of the electron beam deposition technique.

  10. Piezoelectric Templates - New Views on Biomineralization and Biomimetics.

    PubMed

    Stitz, Nina; Eiben, Sabine; Atanasova, Petia; Domingo, Neus; Leineweber, Andreas; Burghard, Zaklina; Bill, Joachim

    2016-05-23

    Biomineralization in general is based on electrostatic interactions and molecular recognition of organic and inorganic phases. These principles of biomineralization have also been utilized and transferred to bio-inspired synthesis of functional materials during the past decades. Proteins involved in both, biomineralization and bio-inspired processes, are often piezoelectric due to their dipolar character hinting to the impact of a template's piezoelectricity on mineralization processes. However, the piezoelectric contribution on the mineralization process and especially the interaction of organic and inorganic phases is hardly considered so far. We herein report the successful use of the intrinsic piezoelectric properties of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) to synthesize piezoelectric ZnO. Such films show a two-fold increase of the piezoelectric coefficient up to 7.2 pm V(-1) compared to films synthesized on non-piezoelectric templates. By utilizing the intrinsic piezoelectricity of a biotemplate, we thus established a novel synthesis pathway towards functional materials, which sheds light on the whole field of biomimetics. The obtained results are of even broader and general interest since they are providing a new, more comprehensive insight into the mechanisms involved into biomineralization in living nature.

  11. Piezoelectric Templates - New Views on Biomineralization and Biomimetics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stitz, Nina; Eiben, Sabine; Atanasova, Petia; Domingo, Neus; Leineweber, Andreas; Burghard, Zaklina; Bill, Joachim

    2016-05-01

    Biomineralization in general is based on electrostatic interactions and molecular recognition of organic and inorganic phases. These principles of biomineralization have also been utilized and transferred to bio-inspired synthesis of functional materials during the past decades. Proteins involved in both, biomineralization and bio-inspired processes, are often piezoelectric due to their dipolar character hinting to the impact of a template’s piezoelectricity on mineralization processes. However, the piezoelectric contribution on the mineralization process and especially the interaction of organic and inorganic phases is hardly considered so far. We herein report the successful use of the intrinsic piezoelectric properties of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) to synthesize piezoelectric ZnO. Such films show a two-fold increase of the piezoelectric coefficient up to 7.2 pm V-1 compared to films synthesized on non-piezoelectric templates. By utilizing the intrinsic piezoelectricity of a biotemplate, we thus established a novel synthesis pathway towards functional materials, which sheds light on the whole field of biomimetics. The obtained results are of even broader and general interest since they are providing a new, more comprehensive insight into the mechanisms involved into biomineralization in living nature.

  12. Comparison of different bonding techniques for efficient strain transfer using piezoelectric actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ziss, Dorian; Martín-Sánchez, Javier; Lettner, Thomas; Halilovic, Alma; Trevisi, Giovanna; Trotta, Rinaldo; Rastelli, Armando; Stangl, Julian

    2017-04-01

    In this paper, strain transfer efficiencies from a single crystalline piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate substrate to a GaAs semiconductor membrane bonded on top are investigated using state-of-the-art x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques and finite-element-method (FEM) simulations. Two different bonding techniques are studied, namely, gold-thermo-compression and polymer-based SU8 bonding. Our results show a much higher strain-transfer for the "soft" SU8 bonding in comparison to the "hard" bonding via gold-thermo-compression. A comparison between the XRD results and FEM simulations allows us to explain this unexpected result with the presence of complex interface structures between the different layers.

  13. Comparison of different bonding techniques for efficient strain transfer using piezoelectric actuators.

    PubMed

    Ziss, Dorian; Martín-Sánchez, Javier; Lettner, Thomas; Halilovic, Alma; Trevisi, Giovanna; Trotta, Rinaldo; Rastelli, Armando; Stangl, Julian

    2017-04-01

    In this paper, strain transfer efficiencies from a single crystalline piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate substrate to a GaAs semiconductor membrane bonded on top are investigated using state-of-the-art x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques and finite-element-method (FEM) simulations. Two different bonding techniques are studied, namely, gold-thermo-compression and polymer-based SU8 bonding. Our results show a much higher strain-transfer for the "soft" SU8 bonding in comparison to the "hard" bonding via gold-thermo-compression. A comparison between the XRD results and FEM simulations allows us to explain this unexpected result with the presence of complex interface structures between the different layers.

  14. Phase transition behavior of (K,Na)NbO3-based high-performance lead-free piezoelectric ceramic composite with different phase compositions depending on Na fraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamada, Hideto; Matsuoka, Takayuki; Yamazaki, Masato; Ohbayashi, Kazushige; Ida, Takashi

    2018-01-01

    The structures of the main (K1- x Na x )NbO3 perovskite in a high-performance lead-free piezoelectric ceramic composite (K1- x Na x )0.86Ca0.04Li0.02Nb0.85O3-δ-K0.85Ti0.85Nb1.15O5-BaZrO3-MgO-Fe2O3 (x = 0.52 and 0.70) with trace amounts of LiMgFeTiO4 inverse spinel and (Li,K)2(Mg,Fe,Ti,Nb)6O13 layered structure have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and synchrotron powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) with varying temperatures. The bright-field TEM images have shown tetragonal 90°-domain contrasts at 80 and 40 °C, and the XRD profile has been simulated by adding an average structure of two differently oriented tetragonal structures bound by a 90°-domain wall for the x = 0.52 sample. Aggregates of tilted NbO6 nanodomains have been observed in a high-resolution TEM image, and the crossover of P4mm-Amm2 features from 60 to 20 °C and diffuse 2 × 2 × 2 superlattice reflections of the tilted NbO6 Imm2 structure have been observed in XRD data for the x = 0.70 sample.

  15. Conformable amplified lead zirconate titanate sensors with enhanced piezoelectric response for cutaneous pressure monitoring.

    PubMed

    Dagdeviren, Canan; Su, Yewang; Joe, Pauline; Yona, Raissa; Liu, Yuhao; Kim, Yun-Soung; Huang, YongAn; Damadoran, Anoop R; Xia, Jing; Martin, Lane W; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

    2014-08-05

    The ability to measure subtle changes in arterial pressure using devices mounted on the skin can be valuable for monitoring vital signs in emergency care, detecting the early onset of cardiovascular disease and continuously assessing health status. Conventional technologies are well suited for use in traditional clinical settings, but cannot be easily adapted for sustained use during daily activities. Here we introduce a conformal device that avoids these limitations. Ultrathin inorganic piezoelectric and semiconductor materials on elastomer substrates enable amplified, low hysteresis measurements of pressure on the skin, with high levels of sensitivity (~0.005 Pa) and fast response times (~0.1 ms). Experimental and theoretical studies reveal enhanced piezoelectric responses in lead zirconate titanate that follow from integration on soft supports as well as engineering behaviours of the associated devices. Calibrated measurements of pressure variations of blood flow in near-surface arteries demonstrate capabilities for measuring radial artery augmentation index and pulse pressure velocity.

  16. Thin film bismuth iron oxides useful for piezoelectric devices

    DOEpatents

    Zeches, Robert J.; Martin, Lane W.; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy

    2016-05-31

    The present invention provides for a composition comprising a thin film of BiFeO.sub.3 having a thickness ranging from 20 nm to 300 nm, a first electrode in contact with the BiFeO.sub.3 thin film, and a second electrode in contact with the BiFeO.sub.3 thin film; wherein the first and second electrodes are in electrical communication. The composition is free or essentially free of lead (Pb). The BFO thin film is has the piezoelectric property of changing its volume and/or shape when an electric field is applied to the BFO thin film.

  17. Design, fabrication, and properties of 2-2 connectivity cement/polymer based piezoelectric composites with varied piezoelectric phase distribution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dongyu, Xu; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208; Xin, Cheng

    2014-12-28

    The laminated 2-2 connectivity cement/polymer based piezoelectric composites with varied piezoelectric phase distribution were fabricated by employing Lead Zirconium Titanate ceramic as active phase, and mixture of cement powder, epoxy resin, and hardener as matrix phase with a mass proportion of 4:4:1. The dielectric, piezoelectric, and electromechanical coupling properties of the composites were studied. The composites with large total volume fraction of piezoelectric phase have large piezoelectric strain constant and relative permittivity, and the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composites are independent of the dimensional variations of the piezoelectric ceramic layer. The composites with small total volume fraction ofmore » piezoelectric phase have large piezoelectric voltage constant, but also large dielectric loss. The composite with gradually increased dimension of piezoelectric ceramic layer has the smallest dielectric loss, and that with the gradually increased dimension of matrix layer has the largest piezoelectric voltage constant. The novel piezoelectric composites show potential applications in fabricating ultrasonic transducers with varied surface vibration amplitude of the transducer.« less

  18. Giant Polarization and High Temperature Monoclinic Phase in a Lead-Free Perovskite of Bi(Zn 0.5Ti 0.5)O 3-BiFeO 3

    DOE PAGES

    Pan, Zhao; Chen, Jun; Yu, Runze; ...

    2016-09-15

    Lead-free piezoelectrics have attracted increasing attention due to the awareness of lead toxicity to the environment. Here, a new Bi-based lead-free perovskite of (1-x)Bi(Zn 0.5Ti 0.5)O 3-xBiFeO 3 has been synthesized via high-pressure and high-temperature method. It exhibits interest-ing properties of giant polarization, morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), and monoclinic phase. In particular, large tetragonality ( c/a = 1.228) and giant spontaneous polariza-tion of 110 μC/cm 2 has been obtained in 0.6Bi(Zn 0.5Ti 0.5)O 3-0.4BiFeO 3, which is much higher than most available lead-free materials and conventional Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3. MPB is clearly identified to be constituted by tetragonal and monoclinic phasesmore » at x = 0.5. Notably, a single monoclinic phase has been observed at x = 0.6, which exhibits an intriguing high temperature property. In conclusion, the present results are helpful to explore new lead-free MPB systems in bismuth-based compounds.« less

  19. A nanoscale piezoelectric transformer for low-voltage transistors.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, Sapan; Yablonovitch, Eli

    2014-11-12

    A novel piezoelectric voltage transformer for low-voltage transistors is proposed. Placing a piezoelectric transformer on the gate of a field-effect transistor results in the piezoelectric transformer field-effect transistor that can switch at significantly lower voltages than a conventional transistor. The piezoelectric transformer operates by using one piezoelectric to squeeze another piezoelectric to generate a higher output voltage than the input voltage. Multiple piezoelectrics can be used to squeeze a single piezoelectric layer to generate an even higher voltage amplification. Coupled electrical and mechanical modeling in COMSOL predicts a 12.5× voltage amplification for a six-layer piezoelectric transformer. This would lead to more than a 150× reduction in the power needed for communications.

  20. Piezoelectric characterization of ejecta from shocked tin surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vogan, W. S.; Anderson, W. W.; Grover, M.; Hammerberg, J. E.; King, N. S. P.; Lamoreaux, S. K.; Macrum, G.; Morley, K. B.; Rigg, P. A.; Stevens, G. D.; Turley, W. D.; Veeser, L. R.; Buttler, W. T.

    2005-12-01

    Using piezoelectric diagnostics, we have measured densities and velocities of ejected particulate as well as "free-surface velocities" of bulk tin targets shock loaded with high explosive. The targets had finely grooved, machined finishes ranging from 10 to 250μin. Two types of piezoelectric sensor ("piezopins"), lithium niobate and lead zirconate titanate, were compared for durability and repeatability; in addition, some piezopins were "shielded" with foam and metal foil in order to mitigate premature failure of the pins in high ejecta regimes. These experiments address questions about ejecta production at a given shock pressure as a function of surface finish; piezopin results are compared with those from complementary diagnostics such as x-ray radiography and time-resolved optical transmission techniques. The mass ejection shows a marked dependence on groove characteristics and cannot be described by a groove defect theory alone.

  1. Development of lead-free single-element ultrahigh frequency (170 – 320 MHz) ultrasonic transducers

    PubMed Central

    Lam, Kwok Ho; Ji, Hong Fen; Zheng, Fan; Ren, Wei; Zhou, Qifa; Shung, K. Kirk

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of single-element ultrahigh frequency (UHF) ultrasonic transducers in which the center frequency ranged from 170 to 320 MHz. The center frequency of > 300 MHz is the highest value of lead-free ceramic ultrasonic transducers ever reported. With concern in the environmental pollution of lead-based materials, the transducer elements presented in this work were lead-free K0.5Na0.5NbO3/Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (KNN/BNT) composite thick films. All transducers were evaluated in a pulse-echo arrangement. The measured −6 dB bandwidth of the transducers ranged from 35 to 64 %. With the optimized piezoelectric properties of the composite film, the insertion loss of the UHF transducers was measured and determined to range from −50 to −60 dB. In addition to the pulse-echo measurement, a 6-μm tungsten wire phantom was also imaged with a 205 MHz transducer to demonstrate the imaging capability. The measured −6 dB axial and lateral resolutions were found to be 12 μm and 50 μm, respectively. The transducer performance presented in this work is shown to be better or comparable to previously reported results even though the frequency is much higher. PMID:23485349

  2. Longitudinal-bending mode micromotor using multilayer piezoelectric actuator.

    PubMed

    Yao, K; Koc, B; Uchino, K

    2001-07-01

    Longitudinal-bending mode ultrasonic motors with a diameter of 3 mm were fabricated using stacked multilayer piezoelectric actuators, which were self-developed from hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic. A bending vibration was converted from a longitudinal vibration with a longitudinal-bending coupler. The motors could be bidirectionally operated by changing driving frequency. Their starting and braking torque were analyzed based on the transient velocity response. With a load of moment of inertia 2.5 x 10(-7) kgm2, the motor showed a maximum starting torque of 127.5 microNm. The braking torque proved to be a constant independent on the motor's driving conditions and was roughly equivalent to the maximum starting torque achievable with our micromotors.

  3. Computational Modeling of Piezoelectric Foams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Challagulla, K. S.; Venkatesh, T. A.

    2013-02-01

    Piezoelectric materials, by virtue of their unique electromechanical characteristics, have been recognized for their potential utility in many applications as sensors and actuators. However, the sensing or actuating functionality of monolithic piezoelectric materials is generally limited. The composite approach to piezoelectric materials provides a unique opportunity to access a new design space with optimal mechanical and coupled characteristics. The properties of monolithic piezoelectric materials can be enhanced via the additive approach by adding two or more constituents to create several types of piezoelectric composites or via the subtractive approach by introducing controlled porosity in the matrix materials to create porous piezoelectric materials. Such porous piezoelectrics can be tailored to demonstrate improved signal-to-noise ratio, impedance matching, and sensitivity, and thus, they can be optimized for applications such as hydrophone devices. This article captures key results from the recent developments in the field of computational modeling of novel piezoelectric foam structures. It is demonstrated that the fundamental elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of piezoelectric foam are strongly dependent on the internal structure of the foams and the material volume fraction. The highest piezoelectric coupling constants and the highest acoustic impedance are obtained in the [3-3] interconnect-free piezoelectric foam structures, while the corresponding figures of merit for the [3-1] type long-porous structure are marginally higher. Among the [3-3] type foam structures, the sparsely-packed foam structures (with longer and thicker interconnects) display higher coupling constants and acoustic impedance as compared to closepacked foam structures (with shorter and thinner interconnects). The piezoelectric charge coefficients ( d h), the hydrostatic voltage coefficients ( g h), and the hydrostatic figures of merit ( d hgh) are observed to be

  4. Lead-Free vs Tin-Lead Reliability of Advanced Electronic Assemblies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghaffarian, Reza

    2005-01-01

    This presentation will provide the technical background and specific information published in literature related to reliability test, analyses, modeling, and associated issues for lead-free solder package assemblies in comparison to their tin-lead solder alloys. It also presents current understanding of lead-free thermal cycle test performance in support.

  5. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2010-01-01

    Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), depots, and support contract ors have to be prepared to deal with an electronics supply chain that increasingly provides parts with lead-free finishes, some labeled no differently and intermingled with their SnPb counterparts. Allowance of lead-free components presents one of the greatest risks to the r eliability of military and aerospace electronics. The introduction of components with lead-free terminations, termination finishes, or cir cuit boards presents a host of concerns to customers, suppliers, and maintainers of aerospace and military electronic systems such as: 1. Electrical shorting due to tin whiskers 2. Incompatibility of lead-f ree processes and parameters (including higher melting points of lead -free alloys) with other materials in the system 3. Unknown material properties and incompatibilities that could reduce solder joint reli ability As the transition to lead-free becomes a certain reality for military and aerospace applications, it will be critical to fully un derstand the implications of reworking lead-free assemblies.

  6. Growth and properties of gradient free sol-gel lead zirconate titanate thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calame, F.; Muralt, P.

    2007-02-01

    Pb(Zrx,Ti1-x)O3 thin films of homogeneous composition were synthesized by means of a modified sol-gel route on Pt(111)/TiOx/SiO2/Si substrates. The gradient in B-site composition as obtained by standard routes could be lowered, reducing Zr concentration fluctuations form ±12to±2.5at.%. The 2μm thick, dense and crack-free films exhibited a {100}-texture index of 98.4%. Grain diameters increased by 50%. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties were remarkably improved. The relative dielectric constant ɛ33,f was obtained as 1620, and the remanent transverse piezoelectric coefficient e31,f was measured as -17.7Cm2.

  7. Hierarchical domain structure of lead-free piezoelectric (Na{sub 1/2} Bi{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3}-(K{sub 1/2} Bi{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3} single crystals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Luo, Chengtao, E-mail: lchentao@vt.edu; Wang, Yaojin; Ge, Wenwei

    2016-05-07

    We report a unique hierarchical domain structure in single crystals of (Na{sub 1/2}Bi{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3}-xat. %(K{sub 1/2}Bi{sub 1/2})TiO{sub 3} for x = 5 and 8 by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A high density of polar nano-domains with a lamellar morphology was found, which were self-assembled into a quadrant-like configuration, which then assembled into conventional ferroelectric macro-domains. Studies by high resolution TEM revealed that the polar lamellar regions contained a coexistence of in-phase and anti-phase oxygen octahedral tilt regions of a few nanometers in size. Domain frustration over multiple length scales may play an important role in the stabilization of the hierarchy, andmore » in reducing the piezoelectric response of this Pb-free piezoelectric solid solution.« less

  8. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2009-01-01

    In response to concerns about risks from lead-free induced faults to high reliability products, NASA has initiated a multi-year project to provide manufacturers and users with data to clarify the risks of lead-free materials in their products. The project will also be of interest to component manufacturers supplying to high reliability markets. The project was launched in November 2006. The primary technical objective of the project is to undertake comprehensive testing to generate information on failure modes/criteria to better understand the reliability of: - Packages (e.g., TSOP, BOA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with solder interconnects consisting of lead-free alloys - Packages (e.g., TSOP, BOA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with solder interconnects consisting of mixed alloys, lead component finish/lead-free solder and lead-free component finish/SnPb solder.

  9. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2009-01-01

    In response to concerns about risks from lead-free induced faults to high reliability products, NASA has initiated a multi-year project to provide manufacturers and users with data to clarify the risks of lead-free materials in their products. The project will also be of interest to component manufacturers supplying to high reliability markets. The project was launched in November 2006. The primary technical objective of the project is to undertake comprehensive testing to generate information on failure modes/criteria to better understand the reliability of: - Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with solder interconnects consisting of lead-free alloys - Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with solder interconnects consisting of mixed alloys, lead component finish/lead-free solder and lead-free component finish/SnPb solder.

  10. Electrostatic solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using molecular dynamics with density functional theory interactions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Duignan, Timothy T.; Baer, Marcel D.; Schenter, Gregory K.

    Determining the solvation free energies of single ions in water is one of the most fundamental problems in physical chemistry and yet many unresolved questions remain. In particular, the ability to decompose the solvation free energy into simple and intuitive contributions will have important implications for coarse grained models of electrolyte solution. Here, we provide rigorous definitions of the various types of single ion solvation free energies based on different simulation protocols. We calculate solvation free energies of charged hard spheres using density functional theory interaction potentials with molecular dynamics simulation (DFT-MD) and isolate the effects of charge and cavitation,more » comparing to the Born (linear response) model. We show that using uncorrected Ewald summation leads to highly unphysical values for the solvation free energy and that charging free energies for cations are approximately linear as a function of charge but that there is a small non-linearity for small anions. The charge hydration asymmetry (CHA) for hard spheres, determined with quantum mechanics, is much larger than for the analogous real ions. This suggests that real ions, particularly anions, are significantly more complex than simple charged hard spheres, a commonly employed representation. We would like to thank Thomas Beck, Shawn Kathmann, Richard Remsing and John Weeks for helpful discussions. Computing resources were generously allocated by PNNL's Institutional Computing program. This research also used resources of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, a DOE Office of Science User Facility supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. TTD, GKS, and CJM were supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences. MDB was supported by MS3 (Materials Synthesis and Simulation Across

  11. Radiation hardness of lead glasses TF1 and TF101

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kobayashi, Masaaki; Prokoshkin, Yuri; Singovsky, Alexandre; Takamatsu, Kunio

    1994-06-01

    We have measured the radiation hardness of two types of lead glasses, TF1 and TF101, for low energy γ-rays from 60Co. TF101 containing cerium is a few tens times radiation harder than TF1 which contains no cerium. The radiation hardness, or the tolerable accumulated dose, of TF101 is 2 × 10 3 rad when the degradation of the transmittance is required to be less than 1% for the unit radiation length X0 = 2.8 cm. When the present result is compared with the work of Inyakin et al., the radiation hardness of TF101 glass should be similar for both γ-rays and for high energy hadrons.

  12. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the current state of the lead-free electronics project. It characterizes the test articles, which were built with lead-free solder and lead-free component finishes. The tests performed and reported on are: thermal cycling, combine environments testing, mechanical shock testing, vibration testing and drop testing.

  13. Breakthrough: Lead-free Solder

    ScienceCinema

    Anderson, Iver

    2018-05-07

    Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist Iver Anderson explains the importance of lead-free solder in taking hazardous lead out of the environment by eliminating it from discarded computers and electronics that wind up in landfills. Anderson led a team that developed a tin-silver-copper replacement for traditional lead-tin solder that has been adopted by more than 50 companies worldwide.

  14. Computational and Experimental Insight Into Single-Molecule Piezoelectric Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marvin, Christopher Wayne

    Piezoelectric materials allow for the harvesting of ambient waste energy from the environment. Producing lightweight, highly responsive materials is a challenge for this type of material, requiring polymer, foam, or bio-inspired materials. In this dissertation, I explore the origin of the piezoelectric effect in single molecules through density functional theory (DFT), analyze the piezoresponse of bio-inspired peptidic materials through the use of atomic and piezoresponse force microscopy (AFM and PFM), and develop a novel class of materials combining flexible polyurethane foams and non-piezoelectric, polar dopants. For the DFT calculations, functional group, regiochemical, and heteroatom derivatives of [6]helicene were examined for their influence on the piezoelectric response. An aza[6]helicene derivative was found to have a piezoelectric response (108 pm/V) comparable to ceramics such as lead zirconium titanate (200+ pm/V). These computed materials have the possibility to compete with current field-leading piezomaterials such as lead zirconium titanate (PZT), zinc oxide (ZnO), and polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and its derivatives. The use of AFM/PFM allows for the demonstration of the piezoelectric effect of the selfassembled monolayer (SAM) peptidic systems. Through PFM, the influence that the helicity and sequence of the peptide has on the overall response of the molecule can be analyzed. Finally, development of a novel class of piezoelectrics, the foam-based materials, expands the current understanding of the qualities required for a piezoelectric material from ceramic and rigid materials to more flexible, organic materials. Through the exploration of these novel types of piezoelectric materials, new design rules and figures of merit have been developed.

  15. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2009-01-01

    In response to concerns about risks from lead-free induced faults to high reliability products, NASA has initiated a multi-year project to provide manufacturers and users with data to clarify the risks of lead-free materials in their products. The project will also be of interest to component manufacturers supplying to high reliability markets. The project was launched in November 2006. The primary technical objective of the project is to undertake comprehensive testing to generate information on failure modes/criteria to better understand the reliability of: (1) Packages (e.g., Thin Small Outline Package [TSOP], Ball Grid Array [BGA], Plastic Dual In-line Package [PDIP]) assembled and reworked with solder interconnects consisting of lead-free alloys (2) Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with solder interconnects consisting of mixed alloys, lead component finish/lead-free solder and lead-free component finish/SnPb solder

  16. NASA DOD Lead Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2008-01-01

    The primary'technical objective of this project is to undertake comprehensive testing to generate information on failure modes/criteria to better understand the reliability of: Packages (e.g., Thin Small Outline Package [TSOP], Ball Grid Array [BGA], Plastic Dual In-line Package [PDIPD assembled and reworked with lead-free alloys Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with mixed (lead/lead-free) alloys.

  17. High electromechanical strain and enhanced temperature characteristics in lead-free (Na,Bi)TiO3-BaTiO3 thin films on Si substrates.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Yoshiaki; Okamoto, Shoji; Hashimoto, Kazuya; Takayama, Ryoichi; Harigai, Takakiyo; Adachi, Hideaki; Fujii, Eiji

    2018-05-18

    Here, we demonstrate the high electromechanical strain and enhanced temperature characteristics in the c-axis-oriented lead-free (Na,Bi)TiO 3 -BaTiO 3 (NBT-BT) polycrystalline thin film prepared on Si substrates by rf magnetron sputtering. The effective transverse piezoelectric coefficient, e 31 * , estimated from the electromechanical strain measured under high electric field, reaches a high level of -12.5 C/m 2 , and is comparable to those of conventional Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 films. In-situ X-ray diffraction measurement and electron diffraction analysis revealed the electromechanical strain of the NBT-BT film to originate predominantly in elongation of the tetragonal (P4bm) crystal lattice in the c-axis direction. In addition to the large e 31 * , the NBT-BT film exhibits enhanced permittivity maximum temperature, T m , of ~400 °C and no depolarization below T m , as compared to bulk NBT-BT having T m ≈ 300 °C and a depolarization temperature of ~100 °C. We conclude that the enhancement of temperature characteristics is associated with the distorted P4bm crystal lattice formed by deposition-induced stress and defects. We believe that the present study paves the way for practical applications of lead-free piezoelectric thin films in electromechanical devices.

  18. Lead-free primary explosives

    DOEpatents

    Huynh, My Hang V.

    2010-06-22

    Lead-free primary explosives of the formula (cat).sub.Y[M.sup.II(T).sub.X(H.sub.2O).sub.6-X].sub.Z, where T is 5-nitrotetrazolate, and syntheses thereof are described. Substantially stoichiometric equivalents of the reactants lead to high yields of pure compositions thereby avoiding dangerous purification steps.

  19. Orthotropic Piezoelectricity in 2D Nanocellulose

    PubMed Central

    García, Y.; Ruiz-Blanco, Yasser B.; Marrero-Ponce, Yovani; Sotomayor-Torres, C. M.

    2016-01-01

    The control of electromechanical responses within bonding regions is essential to face frontier challenges in nanotechnologies, such as molecular electronics and biotechnology. Here, we present Iβ-nanocellulose as a potentially new orthotropic 2D piezoelectric crystal. The predicted in-layer piezoelectricity is originated on a sui-generis hydrogen bonds pattern. Upon this fact and by using a combination of ab-initio and ad-hoc models, we introduce a description of electrical profiles along chemical bonds. Such developments lead to obtain a rationale for modelling the extended piezoelectric effect originated within bond scales. The order of magnitude estimated for the 2D Iβ-nanocellulose piezoelectric response, ~pm V−1, ranks this material at the level of currently used piezoelectric energy generators and new artificial 2D designs. Such finding would be crucial for developing alternative materials to drive emerging nanotechnologies. PMID:27708364

  20. Performance of lead-free versus lead-based hunting ammunition in ballistic soap.

    PubMed

    Gremse, Felix; Krone, Oliver; Thamm, Mirko; Kiessling, Fabian; Tolba, René Hany; Rieger, Siegfried; Gremse, Carl

    2014-01-01

    Lead-free hunting bullets are an alternative to lead-containing bullets which cause health risks for humans and endangered scavenging raptors through lead ingestion. However, doubts concerning the effectiveness of lead-free hunting bullets hinder the wide-spread acceptance in the hunting and wildlife management community. We performed terminal ballistic experiments under standardized conditions with ballistic soap as surrogate for game animal tissue to characterize dimensionally stable, partially fragmenting, and deforming lead-free bullets and one commonly used lead-containing bullet. The permanent cavities created in soap blocks are used as a measure for the potential wound damage. The soap blocks were imaged using computed tomography to assess the volume and shape of the cavity and the number of fragments. Shots were performed at different impact speeds, covering a realistic shooting range. Using 3D image segmentation, cavity volume, metal fragment count, deflection angle, and depth of maximum damage were determined. Shots were repeated to investigate the reproducibility of ballistic soap experiments. All bullets showed an increasing cavity volume with increasing deposited energy. The dimensionally stable and fragmenting lead-free bullets achieved a constant conversion ratio while the deforming copper and lead-containing bullets showed a ratio, which increases linearly with the total deposited energy. The lead-containing bullet created hundreds of fragments and significantly more fragments than the lead-free bullets. The deflection angle was significantly higher for the dimensionally stable bullet due to its tumbling behavior and was similarly low for the other bullets. The deforming bullets achieved higher reproducibility than the fragmenting and dimensionally stable bullets. The deforming lead-free bullet closely resembled the deforming lead-containing bullet in terms of energy conversion, deflection angle, cavity shape, and reproducibility, showing that

  1. Phase segregation and dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of MgO-doped NBT-BT lead-free ferroelecric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Gang; Wang, Ziyang; Zhang, Leiyang; Shi, Wenjing; Jing, Jiayi; Chen, Yi; Liu, Hongbo; Yan, Yan

    2018-03-01

    MgO doped NBT-BT ceramics were prepared by the conventional electroceramic processing. The effects of MgO on the phase, microstructures and electrical properties of NBT-BT ceramics were systematically investigated. When doping content is more than 1%, a second phase appeared, which has great effect on dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties, such as the T F-R peak weakened, moved to the higher temperature, and eventually disappeared. When the doping content is above 1.5%, the ceramic samples show a strong relaxation. The detailed analysis and discussion can be found within this study.

  2. Ultra-high frequency piezoelectric aptasensor for the label-free detection of cocaine.

    PubMed

    Neves, Miguel A D; Blaszykowski, Christophe; Bokhari, Sumra; Thompson, Michael

    2015-10-15

    This paper describes a label-free and real-time piezoelectric aptasensor for the detection of cocaine. The acoustic wave sensing platform is a quartz substrate functionalized with an adlayer of S-(11-trichlorosilyl-undecanyl)-benzenethiosulfonate (BTS) cross-linker onto which the anti-cocaine MN4 DNA aptamer is next immobilized. Preparation of the sensor surface was monitored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), while the binding of cocaine to surface-attached MN4 was evaluated using the electromagnetic piezoelectric acoustic sensor (EMPAS). The MN4 aptamer, unlike other cocaine aptamer variants, has its secondary structure preformed in the unbound state with only tertiary structure changes occurring during target binding. It is postulated that the highly sensitive EMPAS detected the binding of cocaine through target mass loading coupled to aptamer tertiary structure folding. The sensor achieved an apparent Kd of 45 ± 12 µM, and a limit of detection of 0.9 µM. Repeated regenerability of the sensor platform was also demonstrated. This work constitutes the first application of EMPAS technology in the field of aptasensors. Furthermore, it is so far one of the very few examples of a bulk acoustic wave aptasensor that is able to directly detect the binding interaction between an aptamer and a small molecule in a facile one-step protocol without the use of a complex assay or signal amplification step. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Electrical percolation threshold of magnetostrictive inclusions in a piezoelectric matrix composite as a function of relative particle size

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barbero, Ever J.; Bedard, Antoine Joseph

    2018-04-01

    Magnetoelectric composites can be produced by embedding magnetostrictive particles in a piezoelectric matrix derived from a piezoelectric powder precursor. Ferrite magnetostrictive particles, if allowed to percolate, can short the potential difference generated in the piezoelectric phase. Modeling a magnetoelectric composite as an aggregate of bi-disperse hard shells, molecular dynamics was used to explore relationships among relative particle size, particle affinity, and electrical percolation with the goal of maximizing the percolation threshold. It is found that two factors raise the percolation threshold, namely the relative size of magnetostrictive to piezoelectric particles, and the affinity between the magnetostrictive and piezoelectric particles.

  4. Experiments to Demonstrate Piezoelectric and Pyroelectric Effects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erhart, Jirí

    2013-01-01

    Piezoelectric and pyroelectric materials are used in many current applications. The purpose of this paper is to explain the basic properties of pyroelectric and piezoelectric effects and demonstrate them in simple experiments. Pyroelectricity is presented on lead zirconium titanate (PZT) ceramics as an electric charge generated by the temperature…

  5. Transverse piezoelectric coefficient measurement of flexible lead zirconate titanate thin films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dufay, T.; Guiffard, B.; Seveno, R.

    Highly flexible lead zirconate titanate, Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT), thin films have been realized by modified sol-gel process. The transverse piezoelectric coefficient d{sub 31} was determined from the tip displacement of bending-mode actuators made of PZT cantilever deposited onto bare or RuO{sub 2} coated aluminium substrate (16 μm thick). The influence of the thickness of ruthenium dioxide RuO{sub 2} and PZT layers was investigated for Pb(Zr{sub 0.57}Ti{sub 0.43})O{sub 3}. The modification of Zr/Ti ratio from 40/60 to 60/40 was done for 3 μm thick PZT thin films onto aluminium (Al) and Al/RuO{sub 2} substrates. A laser vibrometer was used to measure the beammore » displacement under controlled electric field. The experimental results were fitted in order to find the piezoelectric coefficient. Very large tip deflections of about 1 mm under low voltage (∼8 V) were measured for every cantilevers at the resonance frequency (∼180 Hz). For a given Zr/Ti ratio of 58/42, it was found that the addition of a 40 nm thick RuO{sub 2} interfacial layer between the aluminium substrate and the PZT layer induces a remarkable increase of the d{sub 31} coefficient by a factor of 2.7, thus corresponding to a maximal d{sub 31} value of 33 pC/N. These results make the recently developed PZT/Al thin films very attractive for both low frequency bending mode actuating applications and vibrating energy harvesting.« less

  6. Role of A-site Ca and B-site Zr substitution in BaTiO3 lead-free compounds: Combined experimental and first principles density functional theoretical studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keswani, Bhavna C.; Saraf, Deepashri; Patil, S. I.; Kshirsagar, Anjali; James, A. R.; Kolekar, Y. D.; Ramana, C. V.

    2018-05-01

    We report on the combined experimental and theoretical simulation results of lead-free ferroelectrics, Ba(1-x)CaxTiO3 (x = 0.0-0.3) and BaTi(1-y)ZryO3 (y = 0.0-0.2), synthesized by standard solid state reaction method. First principles density functional calculations are used to investigate the electronic structure, dynamical charges, and spontaneous polarization of these compounds. In addition, the structural, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties are studied using extensive experiments. The X-ray diffraction and temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy studies indicate that the calcium (Ca) substituted compositions exhibit a single phase crystal structure, while zirconium (Zr) substituted compositions are biphasic. The scanning electron micrographs reveal the uniform and highly dense microstructure. The presence of polarization-electric field and strain-electric field hysteresis loops confirms the ferroelectric and piezoelectric nature of all the compositions. Our results demonstrate higher values for polarization, percentage strain, piezoelectric coefficients, and electrostrictive coefficient compared to those existing in the literature. For smaller substitutions of Ca and Zr in BaTiO3, a direct piezoelectric coefficient (d33) is enhanced, while the highest d33 value (˜300 pC/N) is observed for BaTi0.96Zr0.04O3 due to the biphasic ferroelectric behavior. Calculation of Born effective charges indicates that doping with Ca or Zr increases the dynamical charges on Ti as well as on O and decreases the dynamical charge on Ba. An increase in the dynamical charges on Ti and O is ascribed to the increase in covalency of Ti-O bond that reduces the polarizability of the crystal. A broader range of temperatures is demonstrated to realize the stable phase in the Ca substituted compounds. The results indicate enhancement in the temperature range of applicability of these compounds for device applications. The combined theoretical and experimental study is

  7. Fabrication and calibration of a piezoelectric nanocomposite paint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osho, Samuel; Wu, Nan; Aramfard, Mohammad; Deng, Chuang; Ojo, Olanrewaju

    2018-03-01

    A new liquid form piezoelectric nanocomposite paint material is fabricated with possible applications as dynamic strain sensors and/or piezoelectric transducers. The applied coating is in the form of low-cost paint, which is flexible and bonds strongly on a metallic surface after drying out via the solvent-casting method. The nanocomposite is produced by an ultrasonic mixture of varying percentages of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle water dispersion, poly vinyl acetate glue (PVA) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). ZnO nanoparticles are used as the piezoelectric sensing elements in a PVA matrix of the paint, while CNTs are introduced as robust bridge of ZnO particles enhancing the piezoelectricity and material properties. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images confirmed the linkages of ZnO nanoparticles in the composite by CNTs. Through piezoelectricity calibration, the optimum mixing ratio with the highest piezoelectricity is 78.1 wt% ZnO, 19.5 wt% PVA glue and 2.4 wt% multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Through nanoindentation tests for the characterization of the mechanical properties of the nano-composite paint, it is found that Young’s modulus and hardness reached a threshold point in the increment in the addition of CNTs to the paint before showing signs of decline. Detailed analysis and explanation of the calibration results and physical phenomenon are provided. The stable paint material is ready to be applied on rough area of engineering structures as sensor and transducer.

  8. A study on (K, Na) NbO3 based multilayer piezoelectric ceramics micro speaker

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Renlong; Chu, Xiangcheng; Huan, Yu; Sun, Yiming; Liu, Jiayi; Wang, Xiaohui; Li, Longtu

    2014-10-01

    A flat panel micro speaker was fabricated from (K, Na) NbO3 (KNN)-based multilayer piezoelectric ceramics by a tape casting and cofiring process using Ag-Pd alloys as an inner electrode. The interface between ceramic and electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The acoustic response was characterized by a standard audio test system. We found that the micro speaker with dimensions of 23 × 27 × 0.6 mm3, using three layers of 30 μm thickness KNN-based ceramic, has a high average sound pressure level (SPL) of 87 dB, between 100 Hz-20 kHz under five voltage. This result was even better than that of lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based ceramics under the same conditions. The experimental results show that the KNN-based multilayer ceramics could be used as lead free piezoelectric micro speakers.

  9. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2007-01-01

    The primary technical objective of the project is to undertake comprehensive testing to generate information on failure modes/criteria to better understand the reliability of: Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with lead-free alloys Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with mixed (lead/lead-free) alloys.

  10. Performance of Lead-Free versus Lead-Based Hunting Ammunition in Ballistic Soap

    PubMed Central

    Gremse, Felix; Krone, Oliver; Thamm, Mirko; Kiessling, Fabian; Tolba, René Hany; Rieger, Siegfried; Gremse, Carl

    2014-01-01

    Background Lead-free hunting bullets are an alternative to lead-containing bullets which cause health risks for humans and endangered scavenging raptors through lead ingestion. However, doubts concerning the effectiveness of lead-free hunting bullets hinder the wide-spread acceptance in the hunting and wildlife management community. Methods We performed terminal ballistic experiments under standardized conditions with ballistic soap as surrogate for game animal tissue to characterize dimensionally stable, partially fragmenting, and deforming lead-free bullets and one commonly used lead-containing bullet. The permanent cavities created in soap blocks are used as a measure for the potential wound damage. The soap blocks were imaged using computed tomography to assess the volume and shape of the cavity and the number of fragments. Shots were performed at different impact speeds, covering a realistic shooting range. Using 3D image segmentation, cavity volume, metal fragment count, deflection angle, and depth of maximum damage were determined. Shots were repeated to investigate the reproducibility of ballistic soap experiments. Results All bullets showed an increasing cavity volume with increasing deposited energy. The dimensionally stable and fragmenting lead-free bullets achieved a constant conversion ratio while the deforming copper and lead-containing bullets showed a ratio, which increases linearly with the total deposited energy. The lead-containing bullet created hundreds of fragments and significantly more fragments than the lead-free bullets. The deflection angle was significantly higher for the dimensionally stable bullet due to its tumbling behavior and was similarly low for the other bullets. The deforming bullets achieved higher reproducibility than the fragmenting and dimensionally stable bullets. Conclusion The deforming lead-free bullet closely resembled the deforming lead-containing bullet in terms of energy conversion, deflection angle, cavity shape

  11. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Ba0.87Ca0.10La0.03Ti1-xSnxO3 lead-free ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhi-hui; Li, Zhi-wei; Fang, Chang; Qiu, Jian-hua; Ding, Jian-ning; Zhu, Wei-qin; Xu, Jiu-jun

    2017-12-01

    Ba0.87Ca0.10La0.03Ti1-xSnxO3 (BCLTS) piezoelectric lead-free ceramics were fabricated by conventional solid-state sintering process at 1480 °C. The effects of Sn4+ substitution on microstructure and electrical properties of the ceramics were researched. All samples show a pure perovskite structure with no secondary phase, and the coexistence of orthorhombic phase and tetragonal phase in the composition range of x = 0.06-0.10 is identified in the XRD pattern. Average grain size decreases with the increase of Sn content in the BCLTS samples. The BCLTS ceramics exhibit excellent piezoelectric properties and ferroelectric properties with d33 = 501pC/N and kp = 45.6% at x = 0.10, and Pr = 9.87 μC/cm2 at x = 0.06. The analysis on the temperature dependence of dielectric permittivity approved the diffuse relaxor ferroelectric feature for all the BCLTS samples.

  12. Piezoelectric diaphragm for vibration energy harvesting.

    PubMed

    Minazara, E; Vasic, D; Costa, F; Poulin, G

    2006-12-22

    This paper presents a technique of electric energy generation using a mechanically excited unimorph piezoelectric membrane transducer. The electrical characteristics of the piezoelectric power generator are investigated under dynamic conditions. The electromechanical model of the generator is presented and used to predict its electrical performances. The experiments was performed with a piezoelectric actuator (shaker) moving a macroscopic 25 mm diameter piezoelectric membrane. A power of 0.65 mW was generated at the resonance frequency (1.71 kHz) across a 5.6 kOmega optimal resistor and for a 80 N force. A special electronic circuit has been conceived in order to increase the power harvested by the piezoelectric transducer. This electrical converter applies the SSHI (synchronized switch harvesting on inductor) technique, and leads to remarkable results: under the same actuation conditions the generated power reaches 1.7 mW, which is sufficient to supply a large range of low consumption sensors.

  13. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2011-01-01

    Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). depots. and support contractors have to be prepared to deal with an electronics supply chain thaI increasingly provides parts with lead-free finishes. some labeled no differently and intenningled with their SnPb counterparts. Allowance oflead-free components presents one of the greatest risks to the reliability of military and aerospace electronics. The introduction of components with lead-free lenninations, tennination finishes, or circuit boards presents a host of concerns to customers. suppliers, and maintainers of aerospace and military electronic systems such as: 1. Electrical shorting due to tin whiskers; 2. Incompatibility oflead-free processes and parameters (including higher melting points of lead-free alloys) with other materials in the system; and 3. Unknown material properties and incompatibilities that could reduce solder joint re liability.

  14. Glory of piezoelectric perovskites.

    PubMed

    Uchino, Kenji

    2015-08-01

    This article reviews the history of piezoelectric perovskites and forecasts future development trends, including Uchino's discoveries such as the Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 electrostrictor, Pb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 single crystal, (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O 3 photostriction, and Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 -Terfenol magnetoelectric composites. We discuss five key trends in the development of piezomaterials: performance to reliability, hard to soft, macro to nano, homo to hetero, and single to multi-functional.

  15. Voltage generation of piezoelectric cantilevers by laser heating

    PubMed Central

    Hsieh, Chun-Yi; Liu, Wei-Hung; Chen, Yang-Fang; Shih, Wan Y.; Gao, Xiaotong; Shih, Wei-Heng

    2012-01-01

    Converting ambient thermal energy into electricity is of great interest in harvesting energy from the environment. Piezoelectric cantilevers have previously been shown to be an effective biosensor and a tool for elasticity mapping. Here we show that a single piezoelectric (lead-zirconate titanate (PZT)) layer cantilever can be used to convert heat to electricity through pyroelectric effect. Furthermore, piezoelectric-metal (PZT-Ti) bi-layer cantilever showed an enhanced induced voltage over the single PZT layer alone due to the additional piezoelectric effect. This type of device can be a way for converting heat energy into electricity. PMID:23258941

  16. Nonlinearity and Scaling Behavior in Lead Zirconate Titanate Piezoceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mueller, V.

    1998-03-01

    The results of a comprehensive study of the nonlinear dielectric and electromechanical response of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoceramics are presented. The piezoelectric strain of a series of donor doped (soft PZT) and acceptor doped (hard PZT) polycrystalline systems was measured under quasistatic (nonresonant) conditions. The measuring field was applied both parallel and perpendicular to the poling direction of the ceramic in order to investigate the influence of different symmetry conditions. Dielectric properties were studied in addition to the electromechanical measurements which enables us to compare piezoelectric and dielectric nonlinearities. Due to the different level and type of dopants, the piezoceramics examined differ significantly with regard to its Curie temperature (190^o Cpiezoelectric coefficients, respectively. Nevertheless, a characteristic ac-field dependence of effective coefficients was observed in all ceramics. For a given ceramic system, the nonlinearity of dielectric and piezoelectric properties is qualitatively the same but more pronounced if the measuring field is applied perpendicular to the poling direction. In soft PZT, two different effective thresholds for the onset of nonlinearity of dielectric and piezoelectric coefficients are found at electric ac-fields E_c1≈ 100V/cm and E_c2 ≈ 1V/cm, respectively. Both are characterized by non-analytic scaling behavior \\chi (E_ac) = \\chi_lin+ A[(E-E_c)/E_c]^φ above the respective threshold. The values of the effective exponent φ are apparently independent of the particular ceramic system which indicates a universal behavior of soft PZT. Hard PZT exhibits a less pronounced nonlinearity and a threshold E_c2≈ 1000V/cm at higher field level than soft PZT. The low field behavior of hard PZT seems to be related to a gradual depinning of ferroelectric domain walls with individual depinning threshold whereas in large fields E>E_c2 the

  17. Strongly Enhanced Piezoelectric Response in Lead Zirconate Titanate Films with Vertically Aligned Columnar Grains.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Minh D; Houwman, Evert P; Dekkers, Matthijn; Rijnders, Guus

    2017-03-22

    Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 (PZT) films with (001) orientation were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO 2 /Si(100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Variation of the laser pulse rate during the deposition of the PZT films was found to play a key role in the control of the microstructure and to change strongly the piezoelectric response of the thin film. The film deposited at low pulse rate has a denser columnar microstructure, which improves the transverse piezoelectric coefficient (d 31f ) and ferroelectric remanent polarization (P r ), whereas the less densely packed columnar grains in the film deposited at high pulse rates give rise to a significantly higher longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d 33f ) value. The effect of film thickness on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the PZT films was also investigated. With increasing film thickness, the grain column diameter gradually increases, and also the average P r and d 33f values become larger. The largest piezoelectric coefficient of d 33f = 408 pm V -1 was found for a 4-μm film thickness. From a series of films in the thickness range 0.5-5 μm, the z-position dependence of the piezoelectric coefficient could be deduced. A local maximum value of 600 pm V -1 was deduced in the 3.5-4.5 μm section of the thickest films. The dependence of the film properties on film thickness is attributed to the decreasing effect of the clamping constraint imposed by the substrate and the increasing spatial separation between the grains with increasing film thickness.

  18. Strongly Enhanced Piezoelectric Response in Lead Zirconate Titanate Films with Vertically Aligned Columnar Grains

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) films with (001) orientation were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Variation of the laser pulse rate during the deposition of the PZT films was found to play a key role in the control of the microstructure and to change strongly the piezoelectric response of the thin film. The film deposited at low pulse rate has a denser columnar microstructure, which improves the transverse piezoelectric coefficient (d31f) and ferroelectric remanent polarization (Pr), whereas the less densely packed columnar grains in the film deposited at high pulse rates give rise to a significantly higher longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33f) value. The effect of film thickness on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the PZT films was also investigated. With increasing film thickness, the grain column diameter gradually increases, and also the average Pr and d33f values become larger. The largest piezoelectric coefficient of d33f = 408 pm V–1 was found for a 4-μm film thickness. From a series of films in the thickness range 0.5–5 μm, the z-position dependence of the piezoelectric coefficient could be deduced. A local maximum value of 600 pm V–1 was deduced in the 3.5–4.5 μm section of the thickest films. The dependence of the film properties on film thickness is attributed to the decreasing effect of the clamping constraint imposed by the substrate and the increasing spatial separation between the grains with increasing film thickness. PMID:28247756

  19. Understanding the structure–property relationships of the ferroelectric to relaxor transition of the (1-x)BaTiO3–(x)BiInO3 lead-free piezoelectric system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Manjón-Sanz, Alicia; Berger, Caitlin; Dolgos, Michelle R.

    A structural and electromechanical investigation has been performed on (1-x)BaTiO 3–(x)BiInO 3 in the region 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. A gradual structural phase transition has been observed where the structure changes from tetragonal (P4mm) and passes through two regions of coexisting phases: (1) P4mm + R3m in the range 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.075 and (2) Pmmore » $$\\bar{3}$$m + R3m for 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. The properties also transition from ferroelectric (x ≤ 0.03) to relaxor ferroelectric (x ≥ 0.05) as the dielectric permittivity maximum becomes temperature and frequency dependent. This transition was also confirmed via polarization-electric field measurements as well as strain-electric field measurements. At the critical composition of x = 0.065, a moderate strain of ~0.104% and an effective piezoelectric coefficient (d$$*\\atop{33}$$) of 260 pm/V were observed. Finally, the original purpose of this study was to demonstrate the polarization extension mechanism as predicted in the literature, but due to the ferroelectric to relaxor transition, this mechanism was not found to be present in this system. However, this demonstrates that BaTiO 3-based lead-free ceramics could be modified to obtain enhanced electromechanical properties for actuator applications.« less

  20. Understanding the structure–property relationships of the ferroelectric to relaxor transition of the (1-x)BaTiO3–(x)BiInO3 lead-free piezoelectric system

    DOE PAGES

    Manjón-Sanz, Alicia; Berger, Caitlin; Dolgos, Michelle R.

    2017-05-01

    A structural and electromechanical investigation has been performed on (1-x)BaTiO 3–(x)BiInO 3 in the region 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. A gradual structural phase transition has been observed where the structure changes from tetragonal (P4mm) and passes through two regions of coexisting phases: (1) P4mm + R3m in the range 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.075 and (2) Pmmore » $$\\bar{3}$$m + R3m for 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. The properties also transition from ferroelectric (x ≤ 0.03) to relaxor ferroelectric (x ≥ 0.05) as the dielectric permittivity maximum becomes temperature and frequency dependent. This transition was also confirmed via polarization-electric field measurements as well as strain-electric field measurements. At the critical composition of x = 0.065, a moderate strain of ~0.104% and an effective piezoelectric coefficient (d$$*\\atop{33}$$) of 260 pm/V were observed. Finally, the original purpose of this study was to demonstrate the polarization extension mechanism as predicted in the literature, but due to the ferroelectric to relaxor transition, this mechanism was not found to be present in this system. However, this demonstrates that BaTiO 3-based lead-free ceramics could be modified to obtain enhanced electromechanical properties for actuator applications.« less

  1. Free-energy landscape for cage breaking of three hard disks.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Gary L; Weeks, Eric R

    2012-03-01

    We investigate cage breaking in dense hard-disk systems using a model of three Brownian disks confined within a circular corral. This system has a six-dimensional configuration space, but can be equivalently thought to explore a symmetric one-dimensional free-energy landscape containing two energy minima separated by an energy barrier. The exact free-energy landscape can be calculated as a function of system size by a direct enumeration of states. Results of simulations show the average time between cage breaking events follows an Arrhenius scaling when the energy barrier is large. We also discuss some of the consequences of using a one-dimensional representation to understand dynamics through a multidimensional space, such as diffusion acquiring spatial dependence and discontinuities in spatial derivatives of free energy.

  2. Drilling, Coring and Sampling Using Piezoelectric Actuated Mechanisms: From the USDC to a Piezo-Rotary-Hammer Drill

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi

    2012-01-01

    NASA exploration missions are increasingly including sampling tasks but with the growth in engineering experience (particularly, Phoenix Scout and MSL) it is now very much recognized that planetary drilling poses many challenges. The difficulties grow significantly with the hardness of sampled material, the depth of drilling and the harshness of the environmental conditions. To address the requirements for samplers that could be operated at the conditions of the various bodies in the solar system, a number of piezoelectric actuated drills and corers were developed by the Advanced Technologies Group of JPL. The basic configuration that was conceived in 1998 is known as the Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC), and it operates as a percussive mechanism. This drill requires as low preload as 10N (important for operation at low gravity) allowing to operate with as low-mass device as 400g, use an average power as low as 2- 3W and drill rocks as hard as basalt. A key feature of this drilling mechanism is the use of a free-mass to convert the ultrasonic vibrations generated by piezoelectric stack to sonic impacts on the bit. Using the versatile capabilities f the USDC led to the development of many configurations and device sizes. Significant improvement of the penetration rate was achieved by augmenting the hammering action by rotation and use of a fluted bit to remove cuttings. To reach meters deep in ice a wireline drill was developed called the Ultrasonic/Sonic Gopher and it was demonstrated in 2005 to penetrate about 2-m deep at Antarctica. Jointly with Honeybee Robotics, this mechanism is currently being modified to incorporate rotation and inchworm operation forming Auto-Gopher to reach meters deep in rocks. To take advantage of the ability of piezoelectric actuators to operate over a wide temperatures range, piezoelectric actuated drills were developed and demonstrated to operate at as cold as -200oC and as hot as 500oC. In this paper, the developed mechanisms

  3. Piezoelectric loudspeaker

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Regan, Curtis Randall (Inventor); Jalink, Antony, Jr. (Inventor); Hellbaum, Richard F. (Inventor); Rohrbach, Wayne W. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    A piezoelectric loudspeaker suitable for midrange frequencies uses a dome shaped piezoelectric actuator to drive a speaker membrane directly. The dome shaped actuator is made from a reduced and internally biased oxygen wafer, and generates excursion of the apex of the dome in the order of 0.02 - 0.05 inches when a rated drive voltage of 350 V rms is applied between the convex and the concave surfaces of the dome shaped actuator. The load capacity exceeds 10 lbs. The edge of the rim of the dome shaped actuator must be free to rock when the dome height varies to ensure low distortion in the loudspeaker. This is achieved by mounting the rim of the dome shaped actuator on a support surface by prestress only. An exceptionally simple design uses a planar speaker membrane with the center part of one side pressed against the rim of a dome shaped actuator by prestress from a stretched latex surround member.

  4. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2009-01-01

    The primary technical objective of this project is to undertake comprehensive testing to generate information on failure modes/criteria to better understand the reliability of: (1) Packages (e.g., Thin Small Outline Package [TSOP], Ball Grid Array [BGA], Plastic Dual In-line Package [PDIP]) assembled and reworked with lead-free alloys, (2) Packages (e.g., TSOP, BGA, PDIP) assembled and reworked with mixed (lead/lead-free) alloys.

  5. Highly piezoelectric BaTiO3 nanorod bundle arrays using epitaxially grown TiO2 nanomaterials.

    PubMed

    Jang, Seon-Min; Yang, Su Chul

    2018-06-08

    Low-dimensional piezoelectric nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, nanoribbons and nanosheets have been developed for potential applications as energy harvesters, tunable sensors, functional transducers and low-power actuators. In this study, lead-free BaTiO 3 nanorod bundle arrays (NBA) with highly piezoelectric properties were successfully synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate via a two-step process consisting of TiO 2 epitaxial growth and BaTiO 3 conversion. Through the TiO 2 epitaxial growth on FTO substrate, (001) oriented TiO 2 nanostructures formed vertically-aligned NBA with a bundle diameter of 80 nm and an aspect ratio of six. In particular, chemical etching of the TiO 2 NBA was conducted to enlarge the surface area for effective Ba 2+ ion diffusion during the perovskite conversion process from TiO 2 to BaTiO 3 . The final structure of perovskite BaTiO 3 NBA was found to exhibit a feasible piezoelectric response of 3.56 nm with a clear phase change of 180° from the single BaTiO 3 bundle, by point piezoelectric forced microscopy (PFM) analysis. Consequently, highly piezoelectric NBA could be a promising nanostructure for various nanoscale electronic devices.

  6. Highly piezoelectric BaTiO3 nanorod bundle arrays using epitaxially grown TiO2 nanomaterials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, Seon-Min; Yang, Su Chul

    2018-06-01

    Low-dimensional piezoelectric nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, nanoribbons and nanosheets have been developed for potential applications as energy harvesters, tunable sensors, functional transducers and low-power actuators. In this study, lead-free BaTiO 3 nanorod bundle arrays (NBA) with highly piezoelectric properties were successfully synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate via a two-step process consisting of TiO2 epitaxial growth and BaTiO3 conversion. Through the TiO2 epitaxial growth on FTO substrate, (001) oriented TiO2 nanostructures formed vertically-aligned NBA with a bundle diameter of 80 nm and an aspect ratio of six. In particular, chemical etching of the TiO2 NBA was conducted to enlarge the surface area for effective Ba2+ ion diffusion during the perovskite conversion process from TiO2 to BaTiO3. The final structure of perovskite BaTiO3 NBA was found to exhibit a feasible piezoelectric response of 3.56 nm with a clear phase change of 180° from the single BaTiO3 bundle, by point piezoelectric forced microscopy (PFM) analysis. Consequently, highly piezoelectric NBA could be a promising nanostructure for various nanoscale electronic devices.

  7. Piezoelectric energy harvester having planform-tapered interdigitated beams

    DOEpatents

    Kellogg, Rick A [Tijeras, NM; Sumali, Hartono [Albuquerque, NM

    2011-05-24

    Embodiments of energy harvesters have a plurality of piezoelectric planform-tapered, interdigitated cantilevered beams anchored to a common frame. The plurality of beams can be arranged as two or more sets of beams with each set sharing a common sense mass affixed to their free ends. Each set thus defined being capable of motion independent of any other set of beams. Each beam can comprise a unimorph or bimorph piezoelectric configuration bonded to a conductive or non-conductive supporting layer and provided with electrical contacts to the active piezoelectric elements for collecting strain induced charge (i.e. energy). The beams are planform tapered along the entirety or a portion of their length thereby increasing the effective stress level and power output of each piezoelectric element, and are interdigitated by sets to increase the power output per unit volume of a harvester thus produced.

  8. Accelerated Aging of Lead-Free Propellant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Furrow, Keith W.; Jervey, David D.

    2000-01-01

    Following higher than expected 2-NDPA depletion rates in a lead-free doublebase formulation (RPD-422), an accelerated aging study was conducted to verify the depletion rates. A test plan was prepared to compare the aging characteristics of lead-free propellant and NOSIH-AA2. The study was also designed to determine which lead-free ballistic modifiers accelerated 2-NDPA depletion. The increased depletion rate occurred in propellants containing monobasic copper salicylate. Four lead-free propellants were then formulated to improved aging characteristics over previous lead-free propellant formulations. The new formulations reduced or replaced the monobasic copper salicylate. The new formulations had improved aging characteristics. Their burn rates, however, were unacceptable for use in a 2.75 inch rocket. To compare aging characteristics, stabilizer depletion rates of RPD-422, AA2, M28, and RLC 470/6A were measured or taken from the literature. The data were fit to a kinetic model. The model contained first and zero order terms which allowed the stabilizer concentration to go to zero. In the model, only the concentration of the primary stabilizer was considered. Derivatives beyond the first nitrated or nitroso derivative of 2-NPDA were not considered. The rate constants were fit to the Arrhenius equation and extrapolated to lower temperatures. The time to complete stabilizer depletion was estimated using the kinetic model. The four propellants were compared and the RPD-422 depleted faster at 45 C than both A22 and M28. These types of predictions depend on the validity of the model and on confidence in the Arrhenius relationship holding at lower temperatures. At 45 C, the zero order portion of the model dominates the depletion rate.

  9. Aeroservoelastic DAP missile fin development. [directionally attached piezoelectric actuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barrett, Ron

    1993-01-01

    The development of an active aeroservoelastic missile fin using directionally attached piezoelectric (DAP) actuator elements is detailed. Several different types of actuator elements are examined, including piezoelectric polymers, piezoelectric fiber composites, and conventionally attached piezoelectric (CAP) and DAP elements. These actuator elements are bonded to the substrate of a torque plate. The root of the torque plate is attached to a fuselage hard point or folding pivot. The tip of the plate is bonded to an aerodynamic shell which undergoes a pitch change as the plate twists. The design procedures used on the plate are discussed. A comparison of the various actuator element shows that DAP elements provide the highest deflections with the highest torsional stiffness. A torque plate was constructed from 0.2032 mm thick DAP elements bonded to a 0.127 mm thick AISI 1010 steel substrate. The torque plate produced static twist deflections in excess of +/- 3 deg. An aerodynamic shell with a modified NACA 0012 profile was added to the torque plate. This fin was tested in a wind tunnel at speeds up to 50 ms/sec. The static deflection of the fin was predicted to within 6 percent of the experimental data.

  10. Radiation tolerance of piezoelectric bulk single-crystal aluminum nitride

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    David A. Parks; Bernhard R. Tittmann

    2014-07-01

    For practical use in harsh radiation environments, we pose selection criteria for piezoelectric materials for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and material characterization. Using these criteria, piezoelectric aluminum nitride is shown to be an excellent candidate. The results of tests on an aluminumnitride-based transducer operating in a nuclear reactor are also presented. We demonstrate the tolerance of single-crystal piezoelectric aluminum nitride after fast and thermal neutron fluences of 1.85 × 1018 neutron/cm2 and 5.8 × 1018 neutron/cm2, respectively, and a gamma dose of 26.8 MGy. The radiation hardness of AlN is most evident from the unaltered piezoelectric coefficient d33, which measured 5.5more » pC/N after a fast and thermal neutron exposure in a nuclear reactor core for over 120 MWh, in agreement with the published literature value. The results offer potential for improving reactor safety and furthering the understanding of radiation effects on materials by enabling structural health monitoring and NDE in spite of the high levels of radiation and high temperatures, which are known to destroy typical commercial ultrasonic transducers.« less

  11. Glory of piezoelectric perovskites

    PubMed Central

    Uchino, Kenji

    2015-01-01

    This article reviews the history of piezoelectric perovskites and forecasts future development trends, including Uchino’s discoveries such as the Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 electrostrictor, Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 single crystal, (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 photostriction, and Pb(Zr, Ti)O3–Terfenol magnetoelectric composites. We discuss five key trends in the development of piezomaterials: performance to reliability, hard to soft, macro to nano, homo to hetero, and single to multi-functional. PMID:27877827

  12. Energy harvesting from controlled buckling of piezoelectric beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ansari, M. H.; Karami, M. Amin

    2015-11-01

    A piezoelectric vibration energy harvester is presented that can generate electricity from the weight of passing cars or crowds. The energy harvester consists of a piezoelectric beam, which buckles when the device is stepped on. The energy harvester can have a horizontal or vertical configuration. In the vertical (direct) configuration, the piezoelectric beam is vertical and directly sustains the weight of the vehicles or people. In the horizontal (indirect) configuration, the vertical weight is transferred to a horizontal axial force through a scissor-like mechanism. Buckling of the beam results in significant stresses and, thus, large power production. However, if the beam’s buckling is not controlled, the beam will fracture. To prevent this, the axial deformation is constrained to limit the deformations of the beam. In this paper, the energy harvester is analytically modeled. The considered piezoelectric beam is a general non-uniform beam. The natural frequencies, mode shapes, and the critical buckling force corresponding to each mode shape are calculated. The electro-mechanical coupling and the geometric nonlinearities are included in the model. The design criteria for the device are discussed. It is demonstrated that a device, realized with commonly used piezoelectric patches, can generate tens of milliwatts of power from passing car traffic. The proposed device could also be implemented in the sidewalks or integrated in shoe soles for energy generation. One of the key features of the device is its frequency up-conversion characteristics. The piezoelectric beam undergoes free vibrations each time the weight is applied to or removed from the energy harvester. The frequency of the free vibrations is orders of magnitude larger than the frequency of the load. The device is, thus, both efficient and insensitive to the frequency of the force excitations.

  13. Postbuckling Investigations of Piezoelectric Microdevices Considering Damage Effects

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Zhigang; Wang, Xianqiao

    2014-01-01

    Piezoelectric material has been emerging as a popular building block in MEMS devices owing to its unique mechanical and electrical material properties. However, the reliability of MEMS devices under buckling deformation environments remains elusive and needs to be further explored. Based on the Talreja's tensor valued internal state damage variables as well as the Helmhotlz free energy of piezoelectric material, a constitutive model of piezoelectric materials with damage is presented. The Kachanvo damage evolution law under in-plane compressive loads is employed. The model is applied to the specific case of the postbuckling analysis of the piezoelectric plate with damage. Then, adopting von Karman's plate theory, the nonlinear governing equations of the piezoelectric plates with initial geometric deflection including damage effects under in-plane compressive loads are established. By using the finite difference method and the Newmark scheme, the damage evolution for damage accumulation is developed and the finite difference procedure for postbuckling equilibrium path is simultaneously employed. Numerical results show the postbuckling behaviors of initial flat and deflected piezoelectric plates with damage or no damage under different sets of electrical loading conditions. The effects of applied voltage, aspect ratio of plate, thick-span ratio of plate, damage as well as initial geometric deflections on the postbuckling behaviors of the piezoelectric plate are discussed. PMID:24618774

  14. New design for inertial piezoelectric motors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lige; Ge, Weifeng; Meng, Wenjie; Hou, Yubin; Zhang, Jing; Lu, Qingyou

    2018-03-01

    We have designed, implemented, and tested a novel inertial piezoelectric motor (IPM) that is the first IPM to have controllable total friction force, which means that it sticks with large total friction forces and slips with severely reduced total friction forces. This allows the IPM to work with greater robustness and produce a larger output force at a lower threshold voltage while also providing higher rigidity. This is a new IPM design that means that the total friction force can be dramatically reduced or even canceled where necessary by pushing the clamping points at the ends of a piezoelectric tube that contains the sliding shaft inside it in the opposite directions during piezoelectric deformation. Therefore, when the shaft is propelled forward by another exterior piezoelectric tube, the inner piezoelectric tube can deform to reduce the total friction force acting on the shaft instantly and cause more effective stepping movement of the shaft. While our new IPM requires the addition of another piezoelectric tube, which leads to an increase in volume of 120% when compared with traditional IPMs, the average step size has increased by more than 400% and the threshold voltage has decreased by more than 50 V. The improvement in performance is far more significant than the increase in volume. This enhanced performance will allow the proposed IPM to work under large load conditions where a simple and powerful piezoelectric motor is needed.

  15. Green piezoelectric for autonomous smart textile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemaire, E.; Borsa, C. J.; Briand, D.

    2015-12-01

    In this work, the fabrication of Rochelle salt based piezoelectric textiles are shown. Structures composed of fibers and Rochelle salt are easily produced using green processes. Both manufacturing and the material itself are really efficient in terms of environmental impact, considering the fabrication processes and the material resources involved. Additionally Rochelle salt is biocompatible. In this green paradigm, active sensing or actuating textiles are developed. Thus processing method and piezoelectric properties have been studied: (1) pure crystals are used as acoustic actuator, (2) fabrication of the textile-based composite is detailed, (3) converse effective d33 is evaluated and compared to lead zirconate titanate ceramic. The utility of textile-based piezoelectric merits its use in a wide array of applications.

  16. Piezoelectric particle accelerator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kemp, Mark A.; Jongewaard, Erik N.; Haase, Andrew A.

    2017-08-29

    A particle accelerator is provided that includes a piezoelectric accelerator element, where the piezoelectric accelerator element includes a hollow cylindrical shape, and an input transducer, where the input transducer is disposed to provide an input signal to the piezoelectric accelerator element, where the input signal induces a mechanical excitation of the piezoelectric accelerator element, where the mechanical excitation is capable of generating a piezoelectric electric field proximal to an axis of the cylindrical shape, where the piezoelectric accelerator is configured to accelerate a charged particle longitudinally along the axis of the cylindrical shape according to the piezoelectric electric field.

  17. Improvement of Piezoelectricity in Piezoelectric Paper Made With Cellulose

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-11-25

    Cellulose microfibril has ordered crystalline regions and disordered regions. b. EAPap is made from cellulose paper on which gold electrodes are...Final Report: AOARD-084035 Improvement of Piezoelectricity in Piezoelectric Paper made with Cellulose •Prof. Jaehwan Kim Center for EAPap...webpage: www.EAPap.com ABSTRACT This report deals with the improvement of piezoelectricity in the piezoelectric paper made with cellulose

  18. Leading twist nuclear shadowing phenomena in hard processes with nuclei

    DOE PAGES

    L. Franfurt; Guzey, V.; Strikman, M.

    2012-01-08

    We present and discuss the theory and phenomenology of the leading twist theory of nuclear shadowing which is based on the combination of the generalization of Gribov-Glauber theory, QCD factorization theorems, and HERA QCD analysis of diffraction in lepton-proton deep inelastic scattering (DIS). We apply this technique for the analysis of a wide range of hard processes with nuclei-inclusive DIS on deuterons, medium-range and heavy nuclei, coherent and incoherent diffractive DIS with nuclei, and hard diffraction in proton-nucleus scattering - and make predictions for the effect of nuclear shadowing in the corresponding sea quark and gluon parton distributions. We alsomore » analyze the role of the leading twist nuclear shadowing in generalized parton distributions in nuclei and certain characteristics of final states in nuclear DIS. We discuss the limits of applicability of the leading twist approximation for small x scattering off nuclei and the onset of the black disk regime and methods of detecting it. It will be possible to check many of our predictions in the near future in the studies of the ultraperipheral collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Further checks will be possible in pA collisions at the LHC and forward hadron production at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). As a result, detailed tests will be possible at an Electon-Ion Collider (EIC) in USA and at the Large Hadron-Electron Collider (LHeC) at CERN.« less

  19. Characterization of Piezoelectric Actuators for Flow Control over a Wing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mossi, Karla M.; Bryant, Robert G.

    2004-01-01

    During the past decade, piezoelectric actuators as the active element in synthetic jets demonstrated that they could significantly enhance the overall lift on an airfoil. However, durability, system weight, size, and power have limited their use outside a laboratory. These problems are not trivial, since piezoelectric actuators are physically brittle and display limited displacement. The objective of this study is to characterize the relevant properties for the design of a synthetic jet utilizing three types of piezoelectric actuators as mechanical diaphragms, Radial Field Diaphragms, Thunders, and Bimorphs so that the shape cavity volume does not exceed 147.5 cubic centimeters on a 7centimeter x 7centimeter aerial coverage. These piezoelectric elements were selected because of their geometry, and overall free-displacement. Each actuator was affixed about its perimeter in a cavity, and relevant parameters such as clamped displacement variations with voltage and frequency, air velocities produced through an aperture, and sound pressure levels produced by the piezoelectric diaphragms were measured.

  20. Electrically rectified piezoelectric energy harvester excited by rotary magnetic plucking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shu, Y. C.; Chang, Y. P.; Wang, W. C.

    2018-03-01

    The paper is focuses on the development of a theoretical framework together with an experimental validation to investigate rotational piezoelectric energy harvesting. The proposed device includes an electrically rectified piezoelectric bimorph mounted on a stationary base with a magnet attached to its free end. Energy is harvested by vibration of beam induced by non-contact rotary magnetic plucking. The DC power frequency response is predicted and found to be in good agreement with experiment. It shows that the harvested DC power is around 1 mW in average with the rotational frequency ranging from 5 Hz to 14 Hz. In addition, the parallel connection of two piezoelectric oscillators with respective electrical rectification is considered. It is observed that the power output of the array is the addition of the response from each individual piezoelectric oscillator.

  1. Mapping piezoelectric response in nanomaterials using a dedicated non-destructive scanning probe technique.

    PubMed

    Calahorra, Yonatan; Smith, Michael; Datta, Anuja; Benisty, Hadas; Kar-Narayan, Sohini

    2017-12-14

    There has been tremendous interest in piezoelectricity at the nanoscale, for example in nanowires and nanofibers where piezoelectric properties may be enhanced or controllably tuned, thus necessitating robust characterization techniques of piezoelectric response in nanomaterials. Piezo-response force microscopy (PFM) is a well-established scanning probe technique routinely used to image piezoelectric/ferroelectric domains in thin films, however, its applicability to nanoscale objects is limited due to the requirement for physical contact with an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip that may cause dislocation or damage, particularly to soft materials, during scanning. Here we report a non-destructive PFM (ND-PFM) technique wherein the tip is oscillated into "discontinuous" contact during scanning, while applying an AC bias between tip and sample and extracting the piezoelectric response for each contact point by monitoring the resulting localized deformation at the AC frequency. ND-PFM is successfully applied to soft polymeric (poly-l-lactic acid) nanowires, as well as hard ceramic (barium zirconate titanate-barium calcium titanate) nanowires, both previously inaccessible by conventional PFM. Our ND-PFM technique is versatile and compatible with commercial AFMs, and can be used to correlate piezoelectric properties of nanomaterials with their microstructural features thus overcoming key characterisation challenges in the field.

  2. Microstructure, Piezoelectric, and Ferroelectric Properties of BZT-Modified BiFeO3-BaTiO3 Multiferroic Ceramics with MnO2 and CuO Addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guan, Shibo; Yang, Huabin; Chen, Guangcong; Zhang, Rui

    2018-02-01

    A new lead-free piezoelectric ceramic, 0.67BiFeO3-0.33BaTiO3-xBi(Zn0.5Ti0.5) O3 + 0.0035MnO2 + 0.004CuO, was prepared through the solid-state reaction route. The ceramic was sintered in the 950-990°C range. In this paper, the crystal structure of the sample is pure perovskite structure with a pseudo-cubic structure in the range of x = 0-0.05, and does not change greatly with the increase of x. The grain size increases first and then decreases with the increase of x. The addition of Bi(Zn0.5Ti0.5) O3(BZT) promoted the grain growth of the sample. The piezoelectric constant reached the maximum value of d 33 = 188 pC/N, electromechanical coupling coefficient k p = 0.301 and the remanent polarization P r = 61.20 μC/cm2 at x = 0.03. It has a high Curie temperature of T c = 420°C. On the other hand, the depolarization temperature reaches the maximum value, T d = 426°C, at x = 0. A small amount of BZT doping can improve the piezoelectric, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of the samples. Therefore, this material can be considered as a promising lead-free piezoelectric ceramic material in the application field of high-temperature materials.

  3. Piezoelectric microelectromechanical resonant sensors for chemical and biological detection.

    PubMed

    Pang, Wei; Zhao, Hongyuan; Kim, Eun Sok; Zhang, Hao; Yu, Hongyu; Hu, Xiaotang

    2012-01-07

    Piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonant sensors, known for their excellent mass resolution, have been studied for many applications, including DNA hybridization, protein-ligand interactions, and immunosensor development. They have also been explored for detecting antigens, organic gas, toxic ions, and explosives. Most piezoelectric MEMS resonant sensors are acoustic sensors (with specific coating layers) that enable selective and label-free detection of biological events in real time. These label-free technologies have recently garnered significant attention for their sensitive and quantitative multi-parameter analysis of biological systems. Since piezoelectric MEMS resonant sensors do more than transform analyte mass or thickness into an electrical signal (e.g., frequency and impedance), special attention must be paid to their potential beyond microweighing, such as measuring elastic and viscous properties, and several types of sensors currently under development operate at different resonant modes (i.e., thickness extensional mode, thickness shear mode, lateral extensional mode, flexural mode, etc.). In this review, we provide an overview of recent developments in micromachined resonant sensors and activities relating to biochemical interfaces for acoustic sensors.

  4. Direct measurement of the free energy of aging hard sphere colloidal glasses.

    PubMed

    Zargar, Rojman; Nienhuis, Bernard; Schall, Peter; Bonn, Daniel

    2013-06-21

    The nature of the glass transition is one of the most important unsolved problems in condensed matter physics. The difference between glasses and liquids is believed to be caused by very large free energy barriers for particle rearrangements; however, so far it has not been possible to confirm this experimentally. We provide the first quantitative determination of the free energy for an aging hard sphere colloidal glass. The determination of the free energy allows for a number of new insights in the glass transition, notably the quantification of the strong spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the free energy. A study of the local minima of the free energy reveals that the observed variations are directly related to the rearrangements of the particles. Our main finding is that the probability of particle rearrangements shows a power law dependence on the free energy changes associated with the rearrangements similar to the Gutenberg-Richter law in seismology.

  5. Modeling and analysis on ring-type piezoelectric transformers.

    PubMed

    Ho, Shine-Tzong

    2007-11-01

    This paper presents an electromechanical model for a ring-type piezoelectric transformer (PT). To establish this model, vibration characteristics of the piezoelectric ring with free boundary conditions are analyzed in advance. Based on the vibration analysis of the piezoelectric ring, the operating frequency and vibration mode of the PT are chosen. Then, electromechanical equations of motion for the PT are derived based on Hamilton's principle, which can be used to simulate the coupled electromechanical system for the transformer. Such as voltage stepup ratio, input impedance, output impedance, input power, output power, and efficiency are calculated by the equations. The optimal load resistance and the maximum efficiency for the PT will be presented in this paper. Experiments also were conducted to verify the theoretical analysis, and a good agreement was obtained.

  6. Research Update: Hard carbon with closed pores from pectin-free apple pomace waste for Na-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dou, Xinwei; Geng, Chenxi; Buchholz, Daniel; Passerini, Stefano

    2018-04-01

    Herein, we report a hard carbon derived from industrial bio-waste, i.e., pectin-free apple pomace. The structural, morphological, and electrochemical properties of the hard carbon are reported. The impact of the bio-waste on the closed porosity is discussed, providing valuable insights into the sodium storage mechanism in hard carbons. Most importantly, the hard carbon delivers good electrochemical performance, high specific capacities of 285 mAh g-1, and a very good capacity retention of 96% after 230 cycles at 0.1 C.

  7. Piezoelectric valve

    DOEpatents

    Petrenko, Serhiy Fedorovich

    2013-01-15

    A motorized valve has a housing having an inlet and an outlet to be connected to a pipeline, a saddle connected with the housing, a turn plug having a rod, the turn plug cooperating with the saddle, and a drive for turning the valve body and formed as a piezoelectric drive, the piezoelectric drive including a piezoelectric generator of radially directed standing acoustic waves, which is connected with the housing and is connectable with a pulse current source, and a rotor operatively connected with the piezoelectric generator and kinematically connected with the rod of the turn plug so as to turn the turn plug when the rotor is actuated by the piezoelectric generator.

  8. Highly efficient flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator and femtosecond two-photon absorption properties of nonlinear lithium niobate nanowires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Manoj Kumar; Aneesh, Janardhanakurup; Yadav, Rajesh; Adarsh, K. V.; Kim, Sang-Woo

    2017-05-01

    We present a high performance flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) device based on the hydrothermally grown lead-free piezoelectric lithium niobate (LiNbO3) nanowires (NWs) for scavenging mechanical energies. The non-linear optical coefficient and optical limiting properties of LiNbO3 were analyzed using femtosecond laser pulse assisted two photon absorption techniques for the first time. Further, a flexible hybrid type NG using a composite structure of the polydimethylsiloxane polymer and LiNbO3 NWs was fabricated, and their piezoelectric output signals were measured. A large output voltage of ˜4.0 V and a recordable large current density of about 1.5 μA cm-2 were obtained under the cyclic compressive force of 1 kgf. A subsequent UV-Vis analysis of the as-prepared sample provides a remarkable increase in the optical band gap (UV absorption cut-off, ˜251 nm) due to the nanoscale size effect. The high piezoelectric output voltage and current are discussed in terms of large band gap, significant nonlinear optical response, and electric dipole alignments under poling effects. Such high performance and unique optical properties of LiNbO3 show its great potential towards various next generation smart electronic applications and self-powered optoelectronic devices.

  9. Piezoelectric and dielectric performance of poled lead zirconate titanate subjected to electric cyclic fatigue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hong; Matsunaga, Tadashi; Lin, Hua-Tay; Mottern, Alexander M.

    2012-02-01

    Poled lead zirconate titanate (PZT) material as a single-layer plate was tested using a piezodilatometer under electric cyclic loading in both unipolar and bipolar modes. Its responses were evaluated using unipolar and bipolar measurements on the same setup. The mechanical strain and charge density loops exhibited various variations when the material was cycled for more than 108 cycles. The various quantities including loop amplitude, hysteresis, switchable polarization, and coercive field were characterized accordingly under the corresponding measurement conditions. At the same time, the offset polarization and bias electric field of the material were observed to be changed and the trend was found to be related to the measurement conditions also. Finally, the piezoelectric and dielectric coefficients were analyzed and their implications for the application of interest have been discussed.

  10. Piezoelectric Polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harrison, J. S.; Ounaies, Z.; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The purpose of this review is to detail the current theoretical understanding of the origin of piezoelectric and ferroelectric phenomena in polymers; to present the state-of-the-art in piezoelectric polymers and emerging material systems that exhibit promising properties; and to discuss key characterization methods, fundamental modeling approaches, and applications of piezoelectric polymers. Piezoelectric polymers have been known to exist for more than forty years, but in recent years they have gained notoriety as a valuable class of smart materials.

  11. A flexible, gigahertz, and free-standing thin film piezoelectric MEMS resonator with high figure of merit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Yuan; Zhang, Menglun; Duan, Xuexin; Zhang, Hao; Pang, Wei

    2017-07-01

    In this paper, a 2.6 GHz air-gap type thin film piezoelectric MEMS resonator was fabricated on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate film. A fabrication process combining transfer printing and hot-embossing was adopted to form a free-standing structure. The flexible radio frequency MEMS resonator possesses a quality factor of 946 and an effective coupling coefficient of 5.10%, and retains its high performance at a substrate bending radius of 1 cm. The achieved performance is comparable to that of conventional resonators on rigid silicon wafers. Our demonstration provides a viable approach to realizing universal MEMS devices on flexible polymer substrates, which is of great significance for building future fully integrated and multi-functional wireless flexible electronic systems.

  12. Vibration Analysis of Composite Laminate Plate Excited by Piezoelectric Actuators

    PubMed Central

    Her, Shiuh-Chuan; Lin, Chi-Sheng

    2013-01-01

    Piezoelectric materials can be used as actuators for the active vibration control of smart structural systems. In this work, piezoelectric patches are surface bonded to a composite laminate plate and used as vibration actuators. A static analysis based on the piezoelectricity and elasticity is conducted to evaluate the loads induced by the piezoelectric actuators to the host structure. The loads are then employed to develop the vibration response of a simply supported laminate rectangular plate excited by piezoelectric patches subjected to time harmonic voltages. An analytical solution of the vibration response of a simply supported laminate rectangular plate under time harmonic electrical loading is obtained and compared with finite element results to validate the present approach. The effects of location and exciting frequency of piezoelectric actuators on the vibration response of the laminate plate are investigated through a parametric study. Numerical results show that modes can be selectively excited, leading to structural vibration control. PMID:23529121

  13. Piezoelectric micromotor based on the structure of serial bending arms.

    PubMed

    Tong, Jianhua; Cui, Tianhong; Shao, Peige; Wang, Liding

    2003-09-01

    This paper presents a new piezoelectric micromotor based on the structure of serial bending arms. Serial bending arms are composed of two piezoelectric bimorphs with one end fixed and the other end free, driven by two signals of a biased square wave with a phase difference of pi/2. The free end of a cantilever arm will move along an elliptic orbit so that the cantilever is used to drive a cylinder rotor. The rotor's end surface contacts the free end of the cantilever, resulting in the rotor's rotation. There are six serial bending arms anchored on the base. The driving mechanism of the micromotor is proposed and analyzed. A new micromotor prototype, 5 mm in diameter, has been fabricated and characterized. The maximum rotational speed reaches 325 rpm, and the output torque is about 36.5 microNm.

  14. Control of piezoelectricity in amino acids by supramolecular packing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerin, Sarah; Stapleton, Aimee; Chovan, Drahomir; Mouras, Rabah; Gleeson, Matthew; McKeown, Cian; Noor, Mohamed Radzi; Silien, Christophe; Rhen, Fernando M. F.; Kholkin, Andrei L.; Liu, Ning; Soulimane, Tewfik; Tofail, Syed A. M.; Thompson, Damien

    2018-02-01

    Piezoelectricity, the linear relationship between stress and induced electrical charge, has attracted recent interest due to its manifestation in biological molecules such as synthetic polypeptides or amino acid crystals, including gamma (γ) glycine. It has also been demonstrated in bone, collagen, elastin and the synthetic bone mineral hydroxyapatite. Piezoelectric coefficients exhibited by these biological materials are generally low, typically in the range of 0.1-10 pm V-1, limiting technological applications. Guided by quantum mechanical calculations we have measured a high shear piezoelectricity (178 pm V-1) in the amino acid crystal beta (β) glycine, which is of similar magnitude to barium titanate or lead zirconate titanate. Our calculations show that the high piezoelectric coefficients originate from an efficient packing of the molecules along certain crystallographic planes and directions. The highest predicted piezoelectric voltage constant for β-glycine crystals is 8 V mN-1, which is an order of magnitude larger than the voltage generated by any currently used ceramic or polymer.

  15. Control of piezoelectricity in amino acids by supramolecular packing.

    PubMed

    Guerin, Sarah; Stapleton, Aimee; Chovan, Drahomir; Mouras, Rabah; Gleeson, Matthew; McKeown, Cian; Noor, Mohamed Radzi; Silien, Christophe; Rhen, Fernando M F; Kholkin, Andrei L; Liu, Ning; Soulimane, Tewfik; Tofail, Syed A M; Thompson, Damien

    2018-02-01

    Piezoelectricity, the linear relationship between stress and induced electrical charge, has attracted recent interest due to its manifestation in biological molecules such as synthetic polypeptides or amino acid crystals, including gamma (γ) glycine. It has also been demonstrated in bone, collagen, elastin and the synthetic bone mineral hydroxyapatite. Piezoelectric coefficients exhibited by these biological materials are generally low, typically in the range of 0.1-10 pm V -1 , limiting technological applications. Guided by quantum mechanical calculations we have measured a high shear piezoelectricity (178 pm V -1 ) in the amino acid crystal beta (β) glycine, which is of similar magnitude to barium titanate or lead zirconate titanate. Our calculations show that the high piezoelectric coefficients originate from an efficient packing of the molecules along certain crystallographic planes and directions. The highest predicted piezoelectric voltage constant for β-glycine crystals is 8 V mN -1 , which is an order of magnitude larger than the voltage generated by any currently used ceramic or polymer.

  16. Fundamental measure theory for the inhomogeneous hard-sphere system based on Santos' consistent free energy.

    PubMed

    Hansen-Goos, Hendrik; Mortazavifar, Mostafa; Oettel, Martin; Roth, Roland

    2015-05-01

    Based on Santos' general solution for the scaled-particle differential equation [Phys. Rev. E 86, 040102(R) (2012)], we construct a free-energy functional for the hard-sphere system. The functional is obtained by a suitable generalization and extension of the set of scaled-particle variables using the weighted densities from Rosenfeld's fundamental measure theory for the hard-sphere mixture [Phys. Rev. Lett. 63, 980 (1989)]. While our general result applies to the hard-sphere mixture, we specify remaining degrees of freedom by requiring the functional to comply with known properties of the pure hard-sphere system. Both for mixtures and pure systems, the functional can be systematically extended following the lines of our derivation. We test the resulting functionals regarding their behavior upon dimensional reduction of the fluid as well as their ability to accurately describe the hard-sphere crystal and the liquid-solid transition.

  17. Environmental lead pollution and its possible influence on tooth loss and hard dental tissue lesions.

    PubMed

    Cenić-Milosević, Desanka; Mileusnić, Ivan; Kolak, Veljko; Pejanović, Djordje; Ristić, Tamara; Jakovljević, Ankica; Popović, Milica; Pesić, Dragana; Melih, Irena

    2013-08-01

    Environmental lead (Pb) pollution is a global problem. Hard dental tissue is capable of accumulating lead and other hard metals from the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate any correlation between the concentration of lead in teeth extracted from inhabitants of Pancevo and Belgrade, Serbia, belonging to different age groups and occurrence of tooth loss, caries and non-carious lesions. A total of 160 volunteers were chosen consecutively from Pancevo (the experimental group) and Belgrade (the control group) and divided into 5 age subgroups of 32 subjects each. Clinical examination consisted of caries and hard dental tissue diagnostics. The Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index and Significant Caries Index were calculated. Extracted teeth were freed of any organic residue by UV digestion and subjected to voltammetric analysis for the content of lead. The average DMFT scores in Pancevo (20.41) were higher than in Belgrade (16.52); in the patients aged 31-40 and 41-50 years the difference was significant (p < 0.05) and highly significant in the patients aged 51-60 (23.69 vs 18.5, p < 0.01). Non-carious lesions were diagnosed in 71 (44%) patients from Pancevo and 39 (24%) patients from Belgrade. The concentrations of Pb in extracted teeth in all the groups from Pancevo were statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in all the groups from Belgrade. In the patients from Pancevo correlations between Pb concentration in extracted teeth and the number of extracted teeth, the number of carious lesions and the number of non-carious lesions showed a statistical significance (p < 0.001, p < 0.01 andp < 0.001, respectively). According to correlations between lead concentration and the number of extracted teeth, number of carious lesions and non-carious lesions found in the patients living in Pancevo, one possible cause of tooth loss and hard dental tissue damage could be a long-term environmental exposure to lead.

  18. Enhanced piezoelectric output of NiO/nanoporous GaN by suppression of internal carrier screening

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waseem, Aadil; Jeong, Dae Kyung; Johar, Muhammad Ali; Kang, Jin-Ho; Ha, Jun-Seok; Key Lee, June; Ryu, Sang-Wan

    2018-06-01

    The efficiency of piezoelectric nanogenerators (PNGs) significantly depends on the free carrier concentration of semiconductors. In the presence of a mechanical stress, piezoelectric charges are generated at both ends of the PNG, which are rapidly screened by the free carriers. The screening effect rapidly decreases the piezoelectric output within fractions of a second. In this study, the piezoelectric outputs of bulk- and nanoporous GaN-based heterojunction PNGs are compared. GaN thin films were epitaxially grown on sapphire substrates using metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Nanoporous GaN was fabricated using electrochemical etching, depleted of free carriers owing to the surface Fermi-level pinning. A highly resistive NiO thin film was deposited on bulk- and nanoporous GaN using radio frequency magnetron sputter. The NiO/nanoporous GaN PNG (NPNG) under a periodic compressive stress of 4 MPa exhibited an output voltage and current of 0.32 V and 1.48 μA cm‑2, respectively. The output voltage and current of the NiO/thin film-GaN PNG (TPNG) were three and five times smaller than those of the NPNG, respectively. Therefore, the high-resistivity of NiO and nanoporous GaN depleted by the Fermi-level pinning are advantageous and provide a better piezoelectric performance of the NPNG, compared with that of the TPNG.

  19. Piezoelectric effect on the thermal conductivity of monolayer gallium nitride

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jin

    2018-01-01

    Using molecular dynamics and density functional theory simulations, in this work, we find that the heat transport property of the monolayer gallium nitride (GaN) can be efficiently tailored by external electric field due to its unique piezoelectric characteristic. As the monolayer GaN possesses different piezoelectric properties in armchair and zigzag directions, different effects of the external electric field on thermal conductivity are observed when it is applied in the armchair and zigzag directions. Our further study reveals that due to the elastoelectric effect in the monolayer GaN, the external electric field changes the Young's modulus and therefore changes the phonon group velocity. Also, due to the inverse piezoelectric effect, the applied electric field induces in-plane stress in the monolayer GaN subject to a length constraint, which results in the change in the lattice anharmonicity and therefore affects the phonon mean free path. Furthermore, for relatively long GaN monolayers, the in-plane stress may trigger the buckling instability, which can significantly reduce the phonon mean free path.

  20. Improved Multiple-DOF SAW Piezoelectric Motors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Bao, Xiaoqi; Hull, Anthony; Wright, John

    2003-01-01

    Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) piezoelectric motors of a proposed type would be capable of operating in multiple degrees of freedom (DOFs) simultaneously and would be amenable to integration into diverse structures and mechanisms. These motors would be compact and structurally simple and would not contain bearings or lead screws. One example of a particularly useful motor of this type would be a two-dimensional- translation stage. Another such example would be a self-actuated spherical joint that could be made to undergo controlled, simultaneous rotations about two orthogonal axes: Such a motor could serve as a mechanism for aiming an "eyeball" camera or as a compact transducer in, and an integral part of, a joint in a robot arm. The multiple-DOF SAW piezoelectric motors as now proposed would be successors to the ones reported in "Multiple-DOF Surface-Acoustic-Wave Piezoelectric Motors" (NPO-20735), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 24, No. 12 (December 2000), page 5b. The basic principle of operation of a multiple-DOF SAW piezoelectric motor is a straightforward extension of that of single-DOF SAW piezoelectric motors, which have been reported in several previous NASA Tech Briefs articles: For example, in the case of a linear SAW piezoelectric motor, piezoelectric transducers at opposite ends of a stator excite surface acoustic waves that travel along the surface of the stator. An object (denoted the slider) is pressed against the stator with sufficient pressure (in practice .300 MPa) that it remains in frictional contact with the stator at all times. The slider rides the crests of the waves and is thereby made to move along the surface of the stator. The direction of motion (forward or backward) is controlled by selecting the relative phase of waves generated by the two piezoelectric transducers. The speed increases with the amplitude of the waves and thus with the magnitude of the voltage applied to the transducers.

  1. Plasmonic piezoelectric nanomechanical resonator for spectrally selective infrared sensing

    PubMed Central

    Hui, Yu; Gomez-Diaz, Juan Sebastian; Qian, Zhenyun; Alù, Andrea; Rinaldi, Matteo

    2016-01-01

    Ultrathin plasmonic metasurfaces have proven their ability to control and manipulate light at unprecedented levels, leading to exciting optical functionalities and applications. Although to date metasurfaces have mainly been investigated from an electromagnetic perspective, their ultrathin nature may also provide novel and useful mechanical properties. Here we propose a thin piezoelectric plasmonic metasurface forming the resonant body of a nanomechanical resonator with simultaneously tailored optical and electromechanical properties. We experimentally demonstrate that it is possible to achieve high thermomechanical coupling between electromagnetic and mechanical resonances in a single ultrathin piezoelectric nanoplate. The combination of nanoplasmonic and piezoelectric resonances allows the proposed device to selectively detect long-wavelength infrared radiation with unprecedented electromechanical performance and thermal capabilities. These attributes lead to the demonstration of a fast, high-resolution, uncooled infrared detector with ∼80% absorption for an optimized spectral bandwidth centered around 8.8 μm. PMID:27080018

  2. Nonlinear piezoelectric devices for broadband air-flow energy harvesting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Y.; Havránek, Z.; Tofel, P.; Meggs, C.; Hughes, H.; Button, T. W.

    2015-11-01

    This paper presents preliminary work on an investigation of a nonlinear air-flow energy harvester integrating magnets and a piezoelectric cantilever array. Two individual piezoelectric cantilevers with the structure of free-standing multi-layer thick-films have been fabricated and assembled with a free-spinning fan. The cantilevers were attached with different tip masses thereby achieving separated resonant frequencies. Also, permanent magnets were fixed onto the blades of the fan as well as the tips of the cantilevers, in order to create nonlinear coupling and transfer fluidic movement into mechanical oscillation. The device has been tested in a wind tunnel. Bifurcations in the spectra of the blade rotation speed of the fan as a function of output voltage have been observed, and a bandwidth (blade rotation speed range) widening effect has been achieved.

  3. Relation of the external mechanical stress to the properties of piezoelectric materials for energy harvesting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jeong, Soon-Jong; Kim, Min-Soo; Lee, Dae-Su; Song, Jae-Sung; Cho, Kyung-Ho

    2013-12-01

    We investigated the piezoelectric properties and the generation of voltage and power under the mechanical compressive loads for three types of piezoelectric ceramics 0.2Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.8Pb(Zr0.475Ti0.525)O3 (soft-PZT), 0.1Pb(Mg1/3Sb2/3)O3- 0.9Pb(Zr0.475Ti0.525)O3 (hard-PZT) and [0.675Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.35PbTiO3]+5 wt% BaTiO3 (textured-PMNT). The piezoelectric d 33 coefficients of all specimens increased with increasing compressive load. The generated voltage and power showed a linear relation and square relation to the applied stress, respectively. These results were larger than those calculated using the simple piezoelectric equation due to the non-linear characteristics of the ceramics, so they were evaluated with a simple model based on a non-linear relation.

  4. Calcium and magnesium content in hard tissues of rats under condition of subchronic lead intoxication.

    PubMed

    Todorovic, Tatjana; Vujanovic, Dragana; Dozic, Ivan; Petkovic-Curcin, Aleksandra

    2008-03-01

    Lead manifests toxic effects in almost all organs and tissues, especially in: the nervous system, hematopoietic system, kidney and liver. This metal has a special affinity for deposition in hard tissue, i.e., bones and teeth. It is generally believed that the main mechanism of its toxicity relies on its interaction with bioelements, especially with Ca and Mg. This article analyses the influence of Pb poisoning on Ca and Mg content in hard tissues, (mandible, femur, teeth and skull) of female and young rats. Experiments were carried out on 60 female rats, AO breed, and on 80 of their young rats (offspring). Female rats were divided into three groups: the first one was a control group, the second one received 100 mg/kg Pb2+ kg b.wt. per day in drinking water, the third one received 30 mg/kg Pb(2+) kg b.wt. per day in drinking water. Young rats (offspring) were divided into the same respective three groups. Lead, calcium and magnesium content in hard tissues (mandible, femur, teeth-incisors and skull) was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry in mineralized samples. There was a statistically significant Pb deposition in all analyzed female and young rat hard tissues. Ca and Mg contents were significantly reduced in all female and young rat hard tissues. These results show that Pb poisoning causes a significant reduction in Ca and Mg content in animal hard tissues, which is probably the consequence of competitive antagonism between Pb and Ca and Mg.

  5. Pulsed laser deposition of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate thin films maintaining a post-CMOS compatible thermal budget

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schatz, A.; Pantel, D.; Hanemann, T.

    2017-09-01

    Integration of lead zirconate titanate (Pb[Zrx,Ti1-x]O3 - PZT) thin films on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor substrates (CMOS) is difficult due to the usually high crystallization temperature of the piezoelectric perovskite PZT phase, which harms the CMOS circuits. In this work, a wafer-scale pulsed laser deposition tool was used to grow 1 μm thick PZT thin films on 150 mm diameter silicon wafers. Three different routes towards a post-CMOS compatible deposition process were investigated, maintaining a post-CMOS compatible thermal budget limit of 445 °C for 1 h (or 420 °C for 6 h). By crystallizing the perovskite LaNiO3 seed layer at 445 °C, the PZT deposition temperature can be lowered to below 400 °C, yielding a transverse piezoelectric coefficient e31,f of -9.3 C/m2. With the same procedure, applying a slightly higher PZT deposition temperature of 420 °C, an e31,f of -10.3 C/m2 can be reached. The low leakage current density of below 3 × 10-6 A/cm2 at 200 kV/cm allows for application of the post-CMOS compatible PZT thin films in low power micro-electro-mechanical-systems actuators.

  6. Hydrogen species motion in piezoelectrics: A quasi-elastic neutron scattering study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alvine, K. J.; Tyagi, M.; Brown, C. M.; Udovic, T. J.; Jenkins, T.; Pitman, S. G.

    2012-03-01

    Hydrogen is known to damage or degrade piezoelectric materials, at low pressure for ferroelectric random access memory applications, and at high pressure for hydrogen-powered vehicle applications. The piezoelectric degradation is in part governed by the motion of hydrogen species within the piezoelectric materials. We present here quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements of the local hydrogen species motion within lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and barium titanate (BTO) on samples charged by exposure to high-pressure gaseous hydrogen (≈17 MPa). Neutron vibrational spectroscopy (NVS) studies of the hydrogen-enhanced vibrational modes are presented as well. Results are discussed in the context of theoretically predicted interstitial hydrogen lattice sites and compared to comparable bulk diffusion studies of hydrogen diffusion in lead zirconate titanate.

  7. Design of optimized piezoelectric HDD-sliders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakasone, Paulo H.; Yoo, Jeonghoon; Silva, Emilio C. N.

    2010-04-01

    As storage data density in hard-disk drives (HDDs) increases for constant or miniaturizing sizes, precision positioning of HDD heads becomes a more relevant issue to ensure enormous amounts of data to be properly written and read. Since the traditional single-stage voice coil motor (VCM) cannot satisfy the positioning requirement of high-density tracks per inch (TPI) HDDs, dual-stage servo systems have been proposed to overcome this matter, by using VCMs to coarsely move the HDD head while piezoelectric actuators provides fine and fast positioning. Thus, the aim of this work is to apply topology optimization method (TOM) to design novel piezoelectric HDD heads, by finding optimal placement of base-plate and piezoelectric material to high precision positioning HDD heads. Topology optimization method is a structural optimization technique that combines the finite element method (FEM) with optimization algorithms. The laminated finite element employs the MITC (mixed interpolation of tensorial components) formulation to provide accurate and reliable results. The topology optimization uses a rational approximation of material properties to vary the material properties between 'void' and 'filled' portions. The design problem consists in generating optimal structures that provide maximal displacements, appropriate structural stiffness and resonance phenomena avoidance. The requirements are achieved by applying formulations to maximize displacements, minimize structural compliance and maximize resonance frequencies. This paper presents the implementation of the algorithms and show results to confirm the feasibility of this approach.

  8. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of CeO2-added nonstoichiometric (Na0.5K0.5)0.97(Nb0.96Sb0.04)O3 ceramics for piezoelectric energy harvesting device applications.

    PubMed

    Oh, Youngkwang; Noh, Jungrae; Yoo, Juhyun; Kang, Jinhee; Hwang, Larkhoon; Hong, Jaeil

    2011-09-01

    In this study, nonstoichiometric (Na(0.5)K(0.5))(0.97)(Nb(0.96)Sb(0.04))O(3) ceramics were fabricated and their dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated according to the CeO(2) addition. In this ceramic composition, CeO(2) addition improved sinterability, electromechanical coupling factor k(p), mechanical quality factor Q(m), piezoelectric constant d(33), and g(33). At the sintering temperature of 1100°C, for the 0.2wt% CeO(2) added specimen, the optimum values of density = 4.359 g/cm(3), k(p) = 0.443, Q(m) = 588, ε(r) = 444, d(33) = 159 pC/N, and g(33) = 35 × 10(-3) V·m/N, were obtained. A piezoelectric energy harvesting device using 0.2 wt% CeO(2)- added lead-free (K(0.5)Na(0.5))(0.97)(Nb(0.96)Sb(0.04))O(3) ceramics and a rectifying circuit for energy harvesting were fabricated and their electrical characteristics were investigated. Under an external vibration acceleration of 0.7 g, when the mass, the frequency of vibration generator, and matching load resistance were 2.4 g, 70 Hz, and 721 Ω, respectively, output voltage and power of piezoelectric harvesting device indicated the optimum values of 24.6 mV(rms) and 0.839 μW, respectively-suitable for application as the electric power source of a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) sensor node.

  9. Crystallization of hard spheres revisited. I. Extracting kinetics and free energy landscape from forward flux sampling.

    PubMed

    Richard, David; Speck, Thomas

    2018-03-28

    We investigate the kinetics and the free energy landscape of the crystallization of hard spheres from a supersaturated metastable liquid though direct simulations and forward flux sampling. In this first paper, we describe and test two different ways to reconstruct the free energy barriers from the sampled steady state probability distribution of cluster sizes without sampling the equilibrium distribution. The first method is based on mean first passage times, and the second method is based on splitting probabilities. We verify both methods for a single particle moving in a double-well potential. For the nucleation of hard spheres, these methods allow us to probe a wide range of supersaturations and to reconstruct the kinetics and the free energy landscape from the same simulation. Results are consistent with the scaling predicted by classical nucleation theory although a quantitative fit requires a rather large effective interfacial tension.

  10. Crystallization of hard spheres revisited. I. Extracting kinetics and free energy landscape from forward flux sampling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richard, David; Speck, Thomas

    2018-03-01

    We investigate the kinetics and the free energy landscape of the crystallization of hard spheres from a supersaturated metastable liquid though direct simulations and forward flux sampling. In this first paper, we describe and test two different ways to reconstruct the free energy barriers from the sampled steady state probability distribution of cluster sizes without sampling the equilibrium distribution. The first method is based on mean first passage times, and the second method is based on splitting probabilities. We verify both methods for a single particle moving in a double-well potential. For the nucleation of hard spheres, these methods allow us to probe a wide range of supersaturations and to reconstruct the kinetics and the free energy landscape from the same simulation. Results are consistent with the scaling predicted by classical nucleation theory although a quantitative fit requires a rather large effective interfacial tension.

  11. Vibration properties of a rotating piezoelectric energy harvesting device that experiences gyroscopic effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Haohui; Chai, Tan; Cooley, Christopher G.

    2018-03-01

    This study investigates the vibration of a rotating piezoelectric device that consists of a proof mass that is supported by elastic structures with piezoelectric layers. Vibration of the proof mass causes deformation in the piezoelectric structures and voltages to power the electrical loads. The coupled electromechanical equations of motion are derived using Newtonian mechanics and Kirchhoff's circuit laws. The free vibration behavior is investigated for devices with identical (tuned) and nonidentical (mistuned) piezoelectric support structures and electrical loads. These devices have complex-valued, speed-dependent eigenvalues and eigenvectors as a result of gyroscopic effects caused by their constant rotation. The characteristics of the complex-valued eigensolutions are related to physical behavior of the device's vibration. The free vibration behaviors differ significantly for tuned and mistuned devices. Due to gyroscopic effects, the proof mass in the tuned device vibrates in either forward or backward decaying circular orbits in single-mode free response. This is proven analytically for all tuned devices, regardless of the device's specific parameters or operating speed. For mistuned devices, the proof mass has decaying elliptical forward and backward orbits. The eigenvalues are shown to be sensitive to changes in the electrical load resistances. Closed-form solutions for the eigenvalues are derived for open and close circuits. At high rotation speeds these devices experience critical speeds and instability.

  12. Ferroelectric, elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties of Ba(Ti0.7Zr0.3)O3-x(Ba0.82Ca0.18)TiO3 Pb-free ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Ruihao; Xue, Deqing; Zhou, Yumei; Ding, Xiangdong; Sun, Jun; Xue, Dezhen

    2017-07-01

    We designed and synthesized a pseudo-binary Pb-free system, Ba(Ti0.7Zr0.3)O3-x(Ba0.82Ca0.18)TiO3, by combining a rhombohedral end (with only cubic to rhombohedral ferroelectric phase transition) and a tetragonal end (with only cubic to tetragonal ferroelectric phase transition). The established composition-temperature phase diagram is characterized by a tricritical point type morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), and the MPB composition has better ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and dielectric properties than the compositions deviating from MPB. Moreover, a full set of material constants (including elastic stiffness constants, elastic compliance constants, piezoelectric constants, dielectric constants, and electromechanical coupling factors) of the MPB composition are determined using a resonance method. The good piezoelectric performance of the MPB composition can be ascribed to the high dielectric constants, elastic softening, and large electromechanical coupling factor.

  13. Giant strain with low cycling degradation in Ta-doped [Bi{sub 1/2}(Na{sub 0.8}K{sub 0.2}){sub 1/2}]TiO{sub 3} lead-free ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu, Xiaoming; Tan, Xiaoli, E-mail: xtan@iastate.edu

    2016-07-21

    Non-textured polycrystalline [Bi{sub 1/2}(Na{sub 0.8}K{sub 0.2}){sub 1/2}](Ti{sub 1−x}Ta{sub x})O{sub 3} ceramics are fabricated and their microstructures and electrical properties are characterized. Transmission electron microscopy reveals the coexistence of the rhombohedral R3c and tetragonal P4bm phases in the form of nanometer-sized domains in [Bi{sub 1/2}(Na{sub 0.8}K{sub 0.2}){sub 1/2}]TiO{sub 3} with low Ta concentration. When the composition is x = 0.015, the electrostrain is found to be highly asymmetric under bipolar fields of ±50 kV/cm. A very large value of 0.62% is observed in this ceramic, corresponding to a large-signal piezoelectric coefficient d{sub 33}* of 1240 pm/V (1120 pm/V under unipolar loading). These values are greater thanmore » most previously reported lead-free polycrystalline ceramics and can even be compared with some lead-free piezoelectric single crystals. Additionally, this ceramic displays low cycling degradation; its electrostrain remains above 0.55% even after undergoing 10 000 cycles of ±50 kV/cm bipolar fields at 2 Hz. Therefore, Ta-doped [Bi{sub 1/2}(Na{sub 0.8}K{sub 0.2}){sub 1/2}]TiO{sub 3} ceramics show great potential for large displacement devices.« less

  14. Critical Role of Monoclinic Polarization Rotation in High-Performance Perovskite Piezoelectric Materials.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hui; Chen, Jun; Fan, Longlong; Ren, Yang; Pan, Zhao; Lalitha, K V; Rödel, Jürgen; Xing, Xianran

    2017-07-07

    High-performance piezoelectric materials constantly attract interest for both technological applications and fundamental research. The understanding of the origin of the high-performance piezoelectric property remains a challenge mainly due to the lack of direct experimental evidence. We perform in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction combined with 2D geometry scattering technology to reveal the underlying mechanism for the perovskite-type lead-based high-performance piezoelectric materials. The direct structural evidence reveals that the electric-field-driven continuous polarization rotation within the monoclinic plane plays a critical role to achieve the giant piezoelectric response. An intrinsic relationship between the crystal structure and piezoelectric performance in perovskite ferroelectrics has been established: A strong tendency of electric-field-driven polarization rotation generates peak piezoelectric performance and vice versa. Furthermore, the monoclinic M_{A} structure is the key feature to superior piezoelectric properties as compared to other structures such as monoclinic M_{B}, rhombohedral, and tetragonal. A high piezoelectric response originates from intrinsic lattice strain, but little from extrinsic domain switching. The present results will facilitate designing high-performance perovskite piezoelectric materials by enhancing the intrinsic lattice contribution with easy and continuous polarization rotation.

  15. Piezoelectric cantilever sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shih, Wan Y. (Inventor); Shih, Wei-Heng (Inventor); Shen, Zuyan (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    A piezoelectric cantilever with a non-piezoelectric, or piezoelectric tip useful as mass and viscosity sensors. The change in the cantilever mass can be accurately quantified by monitoring a resonance frequency shift of the cantilever. For bio-detection, antibodies or other specific receptors of target antigens may be immobilized on the cantilever surface, preferably on the non-piezoelectric tip. For chemical detection, high surface-area selective absorbent materials are coated on the cantilever tip. Binding of the target antigens or analytes to the cantilever surface increases the cantilever mass. Detection of target antigens or analytes is achieved by monitoring the cantilever's resonance frequency and determining the resonance frequency shift that is due to the mass of the adsorbed target antigens on the cantilever surface. The use of a piezoelectric unimorph cantilever allows both electrical actuation and electrical sensing. Incorporating a non-piezoelectric tip (14) enhances the sensitivity of the sensor. In addition, the piezoelectric cantilever can withstand damping in highly viscous liquids and can be used as a viscosity sensor in wide viscosity range.

  16. Cold sintering and electrical characterization of lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Dixiong; Guo, Hanzheng; Morandi, Carl S.; Randall, Clive A.; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes a cold sintering process for Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics and the associated processing-property relations. Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 has a very small, incongruent solubility that is a challenge during cold sintering. To circumvent this, a Pb(NO3)2 solution was used as the transient liquid phase. A bimodal lead zirconate titanate powder was densified to a relative density of 89% by cold sintering at 300 °C and 500 MPa. After the cold sintering step, the permittivity was 200, and the dielectric loss was 2.0%. A second heat-treatment involving a 3 h anneal at 900 °C increased the relative density to 99%; the resulting relative dielectric permittivity was 1300 at room temperature and 100 kHz. The samples showed well-defined ferroelectric hysteresis loops, having a remanent polarization of 28 μC/cm2. On poling, the piezoelectric coefficient d33 was ˜200 pC/N. With a 700 °C 3 h post-annealing, samples show a lower room temperature relative permittivity (950 at 100 kHz), but a 24 h hold time at 700 °C produces ceramics where there is an improved relative dielectric constant (1050 at 100 kHz).

  17. Structural crossover from nonmodulated to long-period modulated tetragonal phase and anomalous change in ferroelectric properties in the lead-free piezoelectric N a1 /2B i1 /2Ti O3-BaTi O3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rao, Badari Narayana; Khatua, Dipak Kumar; Garg, Rohini; Senyshyn, Anatoliy; Ranjan, Rajeev

    2015-06-01

    The highly complex structure-property interrelationship in the lead-free piezoelectric (x )N a1 /2B i1 /2Ti O3- (1 -x ) BaTi O3 is a subject of considerable contemporary debate. Using comprehensive x-ray, neutron diffraction, dielectric, and ferroelectric studies, we have shown the existence of a new criticality in this system at x =0.80 , i.e., well within the conventional tetragonal phase field. This criticality manifests as a nonmonotonic variation of the tetragonality and coercivity and is shown to be associated with a crossover from a nonmodulated tetragonal phase (for x <0.8 ) to a long-period modulated tetragonal phase (for x >0.80 ). It is shown that the stabilization of long-period modulation introduces a characteristic depolarization temperature in the system. While differing qualitatively from the two-phase model often suggested for the critical compositions of this system, our results support the view with regard to the tendency in perovskites to stabilize long-period modulated structures as a result of complex interplay of antiferrodistortive modes [Bellaiche and Iniguez, Phys. Rev. B 88, 014104 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevB.88.014104; Prosandeev, Wang, Ren, Iniguez, ands Bellaiche, Adv. Funct. Mater. 23, 234 (2013), 10.1002/adfm.201201467].

  18. Layerwise mechanics and finite element for the dynamic analysis of piezoelectric composite plates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saravanos, Dimitris A.; Heyliger, Paul R.; Hopkins, Dale A.

    1996-01-01

    Laminate and structural mechanics for the analysis of laminated composite plate structures with piezoelectric actuators and sensors are presented. The theories implement layerwise representations of displacements and electric potential, and can model both the global and local electromechanical response of smart composite laminates. Finite-element formulations are developed for the quasi-static and dynamic analysis of smart composite structures containing piezoelectric layers. Comparisons with an exact solution illustrate the accuracy, robustness and capability of the developed mechanics to capture the global and local response of thin and/or thick laminated piezoelectric plates. Additional correlations and numerical applications demonstrate the unique capabilities of the mechanics in analyzing the static and free-vibration response of composite plates with distributed piezoelectric actuators and sensors.

  19. SU-E-P-09: Radiation Transmission Measurements and Evaluation of Diagnostic Lead-Based and Lead-Free Aprons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Syh, J

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: This study was conducted to ensure that various lead shield apron manufacturers provided accurate attenuation factors regardless of whether the apron was made of lead-based or lead-free equivalent material. Methods: A calibrated ionization survey meter was placed at chest height and 36 cm horizontally away from a solid water phantom on a simulator couch. Measurements were done with or without apron. Radiation field was set to 24cmx24cm with the phantom at 100cm source-to-surface distance. Irradiation time was set for 1 minute at voltages of 60, 80, 100 and 120 kVp. Current was set at 6mA. Results: Between 60 kVpmore » and 120 kVp, the transmission through 0.50 mm of lead-based apron was between 1.0% and 6.5% with a mean value of 3.2% and a standard deviation (s.d.) of 1.4%. The transmissions through the 0.50 mm lead-free aprons were 1.0 % to 12.0% with a mean value of 6.1% and s.d. of 2.6%. At 120 kVp, the transmission value was 6.5% for 0.50 mm lead-based apron and 11.1% to 12.0% for 0.50 mm lead-free aprons. The radiation transmissions at 80 kVp, measured in two different 0.5 mm lead-free aprons, were 4.3% each. However, only 1.4% transmission was found through the lead-based apron. Overall, the radiation transmitted through the lead-based apron was 1/3 transmission of lead-free at 80kVp, and half value of lead-free aprons at 100 and 120 kVp. Conclusion: Even though lead-based and lead-free aprons all claimed to have the same lead equivalent thickness, the transmission might not be the same. The precaution was needed to exercise diligence in quality assurance program to assure adequate protection to staff who wear it during diagnostic procedures. The requirement for aprons not only should be in certain thickness to meet state regulation but also to keep reasonably achievable low exposure with the accurate labeling from manufacturers.« less

  20. NASA-DoD Lower Process Temperature Lead-Free Solder Project Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2014-01-01

    This project is a follow-on effort to the Joint Council on Aging AircraftJoint Group on Pollution Prevention (JCAAJG-PP) Pb-free Solder Project and NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project which were the first projects to test the reliability of Pb-free solder joints against the requirements of the aerospace and military community. This effort would continue to build on the results from the JCAAJG-PP Lead-Free Solder Project and NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project while focusing on a particular failure mechanism currently plaguing Pb-free assemblies, pad cratering.The NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project confirmed that pad cratering is one of the dominant failure modes that occur in various board level reliability tests, especially under dynamic loading. Pad Cratering is a latent defect that may occur during assembly, rework, and post assembly handling and testing.

  1. (U) An Analytic Study of Piezoelectric Ejecta Mass Measurements

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tregillis, Ian Lee

    2017-02-16

    We consider the piezoelectric measurement of the areal mass of an ejecta cloud, for the specific case where ejecta are created by a single shock at the free surface and fly ballistically through vacuum to the sensor. To do so, we define time- and velocity-dependent ejecta “areal mass functions” at the source and sensor in terms of typically unknown distribution functions for the ejecta particles. Next, we derive an equation governing the relationship between the areal mass function at the source (which resides in the rest frame of the free surface) and at the sensor (which resides in the laboratorymore » frame). We also derive expressions for the analytic (“true”) accumulated ejecta mass at the sensor and the measured (“inferred”) value obtained via the standard method for analyzing piezoelectric voltage traces. This approach enables us to derive an exact expression for the error imposed upon a piezoelectric ejecta mass measurement (in a perfect system) by the assumption of instantaneous creation. We verify that when the ejecta are created instantaneously (i.e., when the time dependence is a delta function), the piezoelectric inference method exactly reproduces the correct result. When creation is not instantaneous, the standard piezo analysis will always overestimate the true mass. However, the error is generally quite small (less than several percent) for most reasonable velocity and time dependences. In some cases, errors exceeding 10-15% may require velocity distributions or ejecta production timescales inconsistent with experimental observations. These results are demonstrated rigorously with numerous analytic test problems.« less

  2. Accurate determination of complex materials coefficients of piezoelectric resonators.

    PubMed

    Du, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Qing-Ming; Uchino, Kenji

    2003-03-01

    This paper presents a method of accurately determining the complex piezoelectric and elastic coefficients of piezoelectric ceramic resonators from the measurement of the normalized electric admittance, Y, which is electric admittance Y of piezoelectric resonator normalized by the angular frequency omega. The coefficients are derived from the measurements near three special frequency points that correspond to the maximum and the minimum normalized susceptance (B) and the maximum normalized conductance (G). The complex elastic coefficient is determined from the frequencies at these points, and the real and imaginary parts of the piezoelectric coefficient are related to the derivative of the susceptance with respect to the frequency and the asymmetry of the conductance, respectively, near the maximum conductance point. The measurements for some lead zirconate titanate (PZT) based ceramics are used as examples to demonstrate the calculation and experimental procedures and the comparisons with the standard methods.

  3. Tuning the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of the AlN system via alloying with YN and BN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manna, Sukriti; Brennecka, Geoff L.; Stevanović, Vladan; Ciobanu, Cristian V.

    2017-09-01

    Recent advances in microelectromechanical systems often require multifunctional materials, which are designed so as to optimize more than one property. Using density functional theory calculations for alloyed nitride systems, we illustrate how co-alloying a piezoelectric material (AlN) with different nitrides helps tune both its piezoelectric and mechanical properties simultaneously. Wurtzite AlN-YN alloys display increased piezoelectric response with YN concentration, accompanied by mechanical softening along the crystallographic c direction. Both effects increase the electromechanical coupling coefficients relevant for transducers and actuators. Resonator applications, however, require superior stiffness, thus leading to the need to decouple the increased piezoelectric response from the softened lattice. We show that co-alloying of AlN with YN and BN results in improved elastic properties while retaining some of the piezoelectric enhancements from YN alloying. This finding may lead to new avenues for tuning the design properties of piezoelectrics through composition-property maps.

  4. Design and fabrication of lanthanum-doped tin-silver-copper lead-free solder for the next generation of microelectronics applications in severe environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadiq, Muhammad

    Tin-Lead solder (Sn-Pb) has long been used in the Electronics industry. But, due to its toxic nature and environmental effects, certain restrictions are made on its use by the European Rehabilitation of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, and therefore, many researchers are looking to replace it. The urgent need for removing lead from solder alloys led to the very fast introduction of lead-free solder alloys without a deep knowledge of their behavior. Therefore, an extensive knowledge and understanding of the mechanical behavior of the emerging generation of lead-free solders is required to satisfy the demands of structural reliability. Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solders are widely used as lead-free replacements but their coarse microstructure and formation of hard and brittle Inter-Metallic Compounds (IMCs) have limited their use in high temperature applications. Many additives are studied to refine the microstructure and improve the mechanical properties of SAC solders including iron (Fe), bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb) and indium (In) etc. Whereas many researchers studied the impact of novel rare earth (RE) elements like lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce) and lutetium (Lu) on SAC solders. These RE elements are known as “vitamins of metals” because of their special surface active properties. They reduce the surface free energy, refine the grain size and improve the mechanical properties of many lead free solder alloys like Sn-Ag, Sn-Cu and SAC but still a systematic study is required to explore the special effects of “La” on the eutectic SAC alloys. The objective of this PhD thesis is to extend the current knowledge about lead free solders of SAC alloys towards lanthanum doping with varying environmental conditions implemented during service. This thesis is divided into six main parts.

  5. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of percolative three-phase piezoelectric polymer composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sundar, Udhay

    Three-phase piezoelectric bulk composites were fabricated using a mix and cast method. The composites were comprised of lead zirconate titanate (PZT), aluminum (Al) and an epoxy matrix. The volume fraction of the PZT and Al were varied from 0.1 to 0.3 and 0.0 to 0.17, respectively. The influences of three entities on piezoelectric and dielectric properties: inclusion of an electrically conductive filler (Al), poling process (contact and Corona) and Al surface treatment, were observed. The piezoelectric strain coefficient, d33, effective dielectric constant, epsilon r, capacitance, C, and resistivity were measured and compared according to poling process, volume fraction of constituent phases and Al surface treatment. The maximum values of d33 were 3.475 and 1.0 pC/N for Corona and contact poled samples respectively, for samples with volume fractions of 0.40 and 0.13 of PZT and Al (surface treated) respectively. Also, the maximum dielectric constant for the surface treated Al samples was 411 for volume fractions of 0.40 and 0.13 for PZT and Al respectively. The percolation threshold was observed to occur at an Al volume fraction of 0.13. The composites achieved a percolated state for Al volume fractions >0.13 for both contact and corona poled samples. In addition, a comparative time study was conducted to examine the influence of surface treatment processing time of Al particles. The effectiveness of the surface treatment, sample morphology and composition was observed with the aid of SEM and EDS images. These images were correlated with piezoelectric and dielectric properties. PZT-epoxy-aluminum thick films (200 mum) were also fabricated using a two-step spin coat deposition and annealing method. The PZT volume fraction were varied from 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4, wherein the Aluminum volume fraction was varied from 0.1 to 0.17 for each PZT volume fraction, respectively. The two-step process included spin coating the first layer at 500 RPM for 30 seconds, and the second

  6. Electrical percolation threshold of magnetostrictive inclusions in a piezoelectric matrix under simulated sintering conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bedard, Antoine Joseph; Barbero, Ever J.

    2018-03-01

    Magnetoelectric (ME) composites can be produced by embedding magnetostrictive H particles in a piezoelectric E matrix derived from a piezoelectric powder precursor. Previously, using a bi-disperse hard-shell model (Barbero and Bedard in Comput Part Mech, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40571-017-0165-4), it has been shown that the electrical percolation threshold of the conductive H phase can be increased by decreasing the piezoelectric E particle size, relative to the H phase particle size, and by increasing short-range affinity between the E and H particles. This study builds on our previous study by exploring what happens during sintering of the ME composite when either the H or E particles undergo deformation. It was found that deformation of the H particles reduces the percolation threshold, and that deformation of E particles increases inter-phase H-E mechanical coupling, thus contributing to enhancing of ME coupling.

  7. Lead-Free Experiment in a Space Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Blanche, J. F.; Strickland, S. M.

    2012-01-01

    This Technical Memorandum addresses the Lead-Free Technology Experiment in Space Environment that flew as part of the seventh Materials International Space Station Experiment outside the International Space Station for approximately 18 months. Its intent was to provide data on the performance of lead-free electronics in an actual space environment. Its postflight condition is compared to the preflight condition as well as to the condition of an identical package operating in parallel in the laboratory. Some tin whisker growth was seen on a flight board but the whiskers were few and short. There were no solder joint failures, no tin pest formation, and no significant intermetallic compound formation or growth on either the flight or ground units.

  8. An efficient route to fabricate fatigue-free P(VDF-TrFE) capacitors with enhanced piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties and excellent thermal stability for sensing and memory applications.

    PubMed

    Singh, Deepa; Deepak; Garg, Ashish

    2017-03-15

    P(VDF-TrFE), the best known ferroelectric polymer, suffers from a rather low piezoelectric response as well as poor electrical fatigue life, hampering its application potential. Herein, we report the fabrication of fatigue free poly(vinylidenedifluoride-trifluoroethylene) P(VDF-TrFE)-based capacitors with record piezoelectric coefficients and excellent thermal stability. We proposed a cost-effective and simple solution-based process to fabricate P(VDF-TrFE)-based memory capacitors with large polarization (8.9 μC cm -2 ), low voltage operation (15 V), and excellent fatigue endurance with 100% polarization retention up to 10 8 electrical switching cycles. The thin film capacitors fabricated using methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as co-solvents also show a much higher piezoelectric coefficient (d 33 = -60 pm V -1 ) than the previously reported capacitors and are also thermally stable up to 380 K, making them ideal candidates for ferro-, piezo-, and pyro-electric applications, even in devices operating above room temperature. The observed results are well supported by first principles calculations, FTIR, XPS, and evaluation of cohesion energy for crystallization by DSC.

  9. Assessing accumulated hard-tissue debris using micro-computed tomography and free software for image processing and analysis.

    PubMed

    De-Deus, Gustavo; Marins, Juliana; Neves, Aline de Almeida; Reis, Claudia; Fidel, Sandra; Versiani, Marco A; Alves, Haimon; Lopes, Ricardo Tadeu; Paciornik, Sidnei

    2014-02-01

    The accumulation of debris occurs after root canal preparation procedures specifically in fins, isthmus, irregularities, and ramifications. The aim of this study was to present a step-by-step description of a new method used to longitudinally identify, measure, and 3-dimensionally map the accumulation of hard-tissue debris inside the root canal after biomechanical preparation using free software for image processing and analysis. Three mandibular molars presenting the mesial root with a large isthmus width and a type II Vertucci's canal configuration were selected and scanned. The specimens were assigned to 1 of 3 experimental approaches: (1) 5.25% sodium hypochlorite + 17% EDTA, (2) bidistilled water, and (3) no irrigation. After root canal preparation, high-resolution scans of the teeth were accomplished, and free software packages were used to register and quantify the amount of accumulated hard-tissue debris in either canal space or isthmus areas. Canal preparation without irrigation resulted in 34.6% of its volume filled with hard-tissue debris, whereas the use of bidistilled water or NaOCl followed by EDTA showed a reduction in the percentage volume of debris to 16% and 11.3%, respectively. The closer the distance to the isthmus area was the larger the amount of accumulated debris regardless of the irrigating protocol used. Through the present method, it was possible to calculate the volume of hard-tissue debris in the isthmuses and in the root canal space. Free-software packages used for image reconstruction, registering, and analysis have shown to be promising for end-user application. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  10. Piezoelectric effect in non-uniform strained carbon nanotubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ilina, M. V.; Blinov, Yu F.; Ilin, O. I.; Rudyk, N. N.; Ageev, O. A.

    2017-10-01

    The piezoelectric effect in non-uniform strained carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been studied. It is shown that the magnitude of strained CNTs surface potential depends on a strain value. It is established that the resistance of CNT also depends on the strain and internal electric field, which leads to the hysteresis in the current-voltage characteristics. Analysis of experimental studies of the non-uniform strained CNT with a diameter of 92 nm and a height of 2.1 μm allowed us to estimate the piezoelectric coefficient 0.107 ± 0.032 C/m2.

  11. Experimental demonstration of a single-spike hard-X-ray free-electron laser starting from noise

    DOE PAGES

    Marinelli, A.; MacArthur, J.; Emma, P.; ...

    2017-10-09

    In this letter, we report the experimental demonstration of single-spike hard-X-ray free-electron laser pulses starting from noise with multi-eV bandwidth. Here, this is accomplished by shaping a low-charge electron beam with a slotted emittance spoiler and by adjusting the transport optics to optimize the beam-shaping accuracy. Based on elementary free-electron laser scaling laws, we estimate the pulse duration to be less than 1 fs full-width at half-maximum.

  12. Experimental demonstration of a single-spike hard-X-ray free-electron laser starting from noise

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Marinelli, A.; MacArthur, J.; Emma, P.

    In this letter, we report the experimental demonstration of single-spike hard-X-ray free-electron laser pulses starting from noise with multi-eV bandwidth. Here, this is accomplished by shaping a low-charge electron beam with a slotted emittance spoiler and by adjusting the transport optics to optimize the beam-shaping accuracy. Based on elementary free-electron laser scaling laws, we estimate the pulse duration to be less than 1 fs full-width at half-maximum.

  13. Piezoelectric drive circuit

    DOEpatents

    Treu, Jr., Charles A.

    1999-08-31

    A piezoelectric motor drive circuit is provided which utilizes the piezoelectric elements as oscillators and a Meacham half-bridge approach to develop feedback from the motor ground circuit to produce a signal to drive amplifiers to power the motor. The circuit automatically compensates for shifts in harmonic frequency of the piezoelectric elements due to pressure and temperature changes.

  14. Enabling Lead Free Interconnects in DoD Weapon Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-28

    FINAL PRESENTATION Enabling Lead-Free Interconnects in DoD Weapon Systems ESTCP Project WP-201573-T2 SEPTEMBER 2017 Dr. Stephan Meschter BAE...Meschter 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) BAE...the results of the SERDP lead- free projects to various stake-holders and to enable standardization. The work products and transferred data must not be

  15. Piezoelectric drive circuit

    DOEpatents

    Treu, C.A. Jr.

    1999-08-31

    A piezoelectric motor drive circuit is provided which utilizes the piezoelectric elements as oscillators and a Meacham half-bridge approach to develop feedback from the motor ground circuit to produce a signal to drive amplifiers to power the motor. The circuit automatically compensates for shifts in harmonic frequency of the piezoelectric elements due to pressure and temperature changes. 7 figs.

  16. Label-free Growth Receptor-2 Detection and Dissociation Constant Assessment in Diluted Human Serum Using a Longitudinal Extension Mode of a Piezoelectric Microcantilever Sensor

    PubMed Central

    Capobianco, Joseph A.; Shih, Wan Y.; Adams, Gregory P.; Shih, Wei-Heng

    2011-01-01

    We have investigated real-time, label-free, in-situ detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) in diluted serum using the first longitudinal extension mode of a lead zirconate-lead titanate (PZT)/glass piezoelectric microcantilever sensor (PEMS) with H3 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) immobilized on the 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) insulation layer of the PEMS surface. We showed that with the longitudinal extension mode, the PZT/glass PEMS consisting of a 1 mm long and 127 μm thick PZT layer bonded with a 75 μm thick glass layer with a 1.8 mm long glass tip could detect Her2 at a concentration of 6-60 ng/ml (or 0.06-0.6 nM) in diluted human serum, about 100 times lower than the concentration limit obtained using the lower-frequency flexural mode of a similar PZT/glass PEMS. We further showed that with the longitudinal mode, the PZT/glass PEMS determined the equilibrium H3-Her2 dissociation constant Kd to be 3.3±0.3 × 10-8 M consistent with the value, 3.2±0.28 ×10-8 M deduced by the surface plasmon resonance method (BIAcore). PMID:22888196

  17. Advancement on Lead-Free Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskite Solar Cells: A Review.

    PubMed

    Sani, Faruk; Shafie, Suhaidi; Lim, Hong Ngee; Musa, Abubakar Ohinoyi

    2018-06-14

    Remarkable attention has been committed to the recently discovered cost effective and solution processable lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells. Recent studies have reported that, within five years, the reported efficiency has reached 9.0%, which makes them an extremely promising and fast developing candidate to compete with conventional lead-based perovskite solar cells. The major challenge associated with the conventional perovskite solar cells is the toxic nature of lead (Pb) used in the active layer of perovskite material. If lead continues to be used in fabricating solar cells, negative health impacts will result in the environment due to the toxicity of lead. Alternatively, lead free perovskite solar cells could give a safe way by substituting low-cost, abundant and non toxic material. This review focuses on formability of lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite, alternative metal cations candidates to replace lead (Pb), and possible substitutions of organic cations, as well as halide anions in the lead-free organic-inorganic halide perovskite architecture. Furthermore, the review gives highlights on the impact of organic cations, metal cations and inorganic anions on stability and the overall performance of lead free perovskite solar cells.

  18. Hard water softening effect of a baby cleanser

    PubMed Central

    Walters, Russel M; Anim-Danso, Emmanuel; Amato, Stephanie M; Capone, Kimberly A; Mack, M Catherine; Telofski, Lorena S; Mays, David A

    2016-01-01

    Background Hard water is associated with atopic dermatitis (eczema). We wanted to determine if a baby cleanser and its individual components altered free ionized calcium (Ca2+) in a simulated hard water baby bath. For these studies, an in vitro determination of free Ca2+ in a simulated hard water baby bath, and an in vivo exploratory study of free Ca2+ absorption into skin from hard water were performed. Methods Free Ca2+ was measured with an ion-sensitive electrode in vitro in hard water (100–500 ppm, Ca2+) before and after addition of the cleanser and/or its components. In an exploratory study, absorption of Ca2+ into skin from hard water was determined in three female participants (aged 21–29 years). Results At an in-use dilution of 1%, the test cleanser reduced free Ca2+ from ~500 ppm to <200 ppm; a 10% in-use dilution bound virtually all free Ca2+. The anionic surfactant component contributed the most to this effect. In the exploratory in vivo study, we measured a reduction of ~15% in free Ca2+ from simulated hard water over 10 minutes. Conclusion Baby cleansers can bind free Ca2+ and reduce the effective water hardness of bath water. Reducing the amount of free Ca2+ in the water will reduce the availability of the ion for binding to the skin. Altering or reducing free Ca2+ concentrations in bath water may be an important parameter in creating the ideal baby bath. PMID:27789967

  19. Hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing (Inventor); Jiang, Xiaoning (Inventor); Su, Ji (Inventor); Rehrig, Paul W. (Inventor); Hackenberger, Wesley S. (Inventor)

    2008-01-01

    A hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system includes: (a) first and second symmetric, pre-curved piezoelectric elements mounted separately on a frame so that their concave major surfaces are positioned opposite to each other; and (b) a linear piezoelectric element mounted separately on the frame and positioned between the pre-curved piezoelectric elements. The pre-curved piezoelectric elements and the linear piezoelectric element are spaced from one another and communicate with energy harvesting circuitry having contact points on the frame. The hybrid piezoelectric energy harvesting transducer system has a higher electromechanical energy conversion efficiency than any known piezoelectric transducer.

  20. Virus-based piezoelectric energy generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Byung Yang; Zhang, Jinxing; Zueger, Chris; Chung, Woo-Jae; Yoo, So Young; Wang, Eddie; Meyer, Joel; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy; Lee, Seung-Wuk

    2012-06-01

    Piezoelectric materials can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, and piezoelectric devices made of a variety of inorganic materials and organic polymers have been demonstrated. However, synthesizing such materials often requires toxic starting compounds, harsh conditions and/or complex procedures. Previously, it was shown that hierarchically organized natural materials such as bones, collagen fibrils and peptide nanotubes can display piezoelectric properties. Here, we demonstrate that the piezoelectric and liquid-crystalline properties of M13 bacteriophage (phage) can be used to generate electrical energy. Using piezoresponse force microscopy, we characterize the structure-dependent piezoelectric properties of the phage at the molecular level. We then show that self-assembled thin films of phage can exhibit piezoelectric strengths of up to 7.8 pm V-1. We also demonstrate that it is possible to modulate the dipole strength of the phage, hence tuning the piezoelectric response, by genetically engineering the major coat proteins of the phage. Finally, we develop a phage-based piezoelectric generator that produces up to 6 nA of current and 400 mV of potential and use it to operate a liquid-crystal display. Because biotechnology techniques enable large-scale production of genetically modified phages, phage-based piezoelectric materials potentially offer a simple and environmentally friendly approach to piezoelectric energy generation.

  1. Vibration energy harvesting using piezoelectric unimorph cantilevers with unequal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Xiaotong; Shih, Wei-Heng; Shih, Wan Y.

    2010-01-01

    We have examined a piezoelectric unimorph cantilever (PUC) with unequal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths for vibration energy harvesting theoretically by extending the analysis of a PUC with equal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths. The theoretical approach was validated by experiments. A case study showed that for a fixed vibration frequency, the maximum open-circuit induced voltage which was important for charge storage for later use occurred with a PUC that had a nonpiezoelectric-to-piezoelectric length ratio greater than unity, whereas the maximum power when the PUC was connected to a resistor for immediate power consumption occurred at a unity nonpiezoelectric-to-piezoelectric length ratio. PMID:21200444

  2. Vibration energy harvesting using piezoelectric unimorph cantilevers with unequal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths.

    PubMed

    Gao, Xiaotong; Shih, Wei-Heng; Shih, Wan Y

    2010-12-06

    We have examined a piezoelectric unimorph cantilever (PUC) with unequal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths for vibration energy harvesting theoretically by extending the analysis of a PUC with equal piezoelectric and nonpiezoelectric lengths. The theoretical approach was validated by experiments. A case study showed that for a fixed vibration frequency, the maximum open-circuit induced voltage which was important for charge storage for later use occurred with a PUC that had a nonpiezoelectric-to-piezoelectric length ratio greater than unity, whereas the maximum power when the PUC was connected to a resistor for immediate power consumption occurred at a unity nonpiezoelectric-to-piezoelectric length ratio.

  3. X-Ray protective clothing: does DIN 6857-1 allow an objective comparison between lead-free and lead-composite materials?

    PubMed

    Eder, H; Schlattl, Helmut; Hoeschen, C

    2010-05-01

    The validity of DIN 6857-1 to establish lead equivalence for protective clothing is evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations and measurements. Commercially available protective clothing made of lead, lead-free and lead-composite materials has been tested regarding its protective efficacy. The analysis has been performed on the one hand in accordance with the test conditions described in the manufacturing standard DIN EN 61331-3 and on the other hand following the new DIN 6857-1 standard. Additionally, measurements have been carried out under simulated patient conditions by using an Alderson-Rando phantom. Following DIN EN 61331-3, the lead-free protective clothing achieved the required protective efficacy only at a restricted tube-voltage range. The test according to DIN 6857-1 showed that the protective criteria were fulfilled only by one lead-composite apron, but not by the three lead-free aprons examined. Thus, in order to guarantee the same protection as lead between 50 and 120 kV, the conditions of DIN 6857-1 must be fulfilled. A modification of DIN EN 61331-3 to account for secondary radiation is strongly advised in the case of lead-free materials. In summary, most of the protective lead-free aprons in use should be used with care, particularly for examinations with a high dose. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart * New York.

  4. High-Temperature Piezoelectric Sensing

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Xiaoning; Kim, Kyungrim; Zhang, Shujun; Johnson, Joseph; Salazar, Giovanni

    2014-01-01

    Piezoelectric sensing is of increasing interest for high-temperature applications in aerospace, automotive, power plants and material processing due to its low cost, compact sensor size and simple signal conditioning, in comparison with other high-temperature sensing techniques. This paper presented an overview of high-temperature piezoelectric sensing techniques. Firstly, different types of high-temperature piezoelectric single crystals, electrode materials, and their pros and cons are discussed. Secondly, recent work on high-temperature piezoelectric sensors including accelerometer, surface acoustic wave sensor, ultrasound transducer, acoustic emission sensor, gas sensor, and pressure sensor for temperatures up to 1,250 °C were reviewed. Finally, discussions of existing challenges and future work for high-temperature piezoelectric sensing are presented. PMID:24361928

  5. PZT/PLZT - elastomer composites with improved piezoelectric voltage coefficient

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harikrishnan, K.; Bavbande, D. V.; Mohan, Dhirendra; Manoharan, B.; Prasad, M. R. S.; Kalyanakrishnan, G.

    2018-02-01

    Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) and Lanthanum-modified Lead Zirconate Titanate (PLZT) ceramic sensor materials are widely used because of their excellent piezoelectric coefficients. These materials are brittle, high density and have low achievable piezoelectric voltage coefficients. The density of the sintered ceramics shall be reduced by burnable polymeric sponge method. The achievable porosity level in this case is nearly 60 - 90%. However, the porous ceramic structure with 3-3 connectivity produced by this method is very fragile in nature. The strength of the porous structure is improved with Sylgard®-184 (silicone elastomer) by vacuum impregnation method maintaining the dynamic vacuum level in the range of -650 mm Hg. The elastomer Sylgard®-184 is having low density, low dielectric constant and high compliance (as a resultant stiffness of the composites is increased). To obtain a net dipole moment, the impregnated ceramic composites were subjected to poling treatment with varying conditions of D.C. field and temperature. The properties of the poled PZT/PLZT - elastomer composites were characterized with LCR meter for measuring the dielectric constant values (k), d33 meter used for measuring piezo-electric charge coefficient values (d33) and piezo-electric voltage coefficient (g33) values which were derived from d33 values. The voltage coefficient (g33) values of these composites are increased by 10 fold as compared to the conventional solid ceramics demonstrates that it is possible to fabricate a conformable detector.

  6. Lead optimization mapper: automating free energy calculations for lead optimization.

    PubMed

    Liu, Shuai; Wu, Yujie; Lin, Teng; Abel, Robert; Redmann, Jonathan P; Summa, Christopher M; Jaber, Vivian R; Lim, Nathan M; Mobley, David L

    2013-09-01

    Alchemical free energy calculations hold increasing promise as an aid to drug discovery efforts. However, applications of these techniques in discovery projects have been relatively few, partly because of the difficulty of planning and setting up calculations. Here, we introduce lead optimization mapper, LOMAP, an automated algorithm to plan efficient relative free energy calculations between potential ligands within a substantial library of perhaps hundreds of compounds. In this approach, ligands are first grouped by structural similarity primarily based on the size of a (loosely defined) maximal common substructure, and then calculations are planned within and between sets of structurally related compounds. An emphasis is placed on ensuring that relative free energies can be obtained between any pair of compounds without combining the results of too many different relative free energy calculations (to avoid accumulation of error) and by providing some redundancy to allow for the possibility of error and consistency checking and provide some insight into when results can be expected to be unreliable. The algorithm is discussed in detail and a Python implementation, based on both Schrödinger's and OpenEye's APIs, has been made available freely under the BSD license.

  7. Exploring the piezoelectric performance of PZT particulate-epoxy composites loaded in shear

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Loock, F.; Deutz, D. B.; van der Zwaag, S.; Groen, W. A.

    2016-08-01

    The active and passive piezoelectric response of lead zirconium titanate (PZT)-epoxy particulate composites loaded in shear is studied using analytical models, a finite element model and by experiments. The response is compared to that of the same composites when loaded in simple tension. Analogously to bulk PZT, particulate PZT-polymer composites loaded in shear show higher piezoelectric charge coefficient (d 15) and energy density figure of merit (FOM15) values compared to simple tension (d 33) and (FOM33). This outcome demonstrates the as-yet barely explored potential of piezoelectric particulate composites for optimal strain energy harvesting when activated in shear.

  8. Understanding the quasi-static thermo-electro-mechanical response of piezoelectric materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganley, Jeffrey Mark

    2007-12-01

    Piezoelectricity describes the behavior of a class of materials which exhibit a relationship between mechanical strain and electrical field. Piezoelectric materials can be crystals (e.g. quartz), ceramic (e.g. lead-zirconate-titanate---PZT---the primary focus of the present research), or polymers (e.g. polyvinylidine-fluoride - PVDF). Piezopolymers and piezoceramics offer a significant improvement in piezoelectric properties over naturally occurring piezoelectrics like quartz. In the last five years, research in piezoelectrics has begun to change focus from the more traditional sensor/actuator applications to utilizing piezoelectric materials in energy harvesting applications. The present research will explore the very low frequency response of piezoelectrics, including several energy harvesting applications, as well as the interactions between thermal, mechanical and electrical energy in a thermally driven piezoelectric energy generation system. In Chapter 1, the history of piezoelectric research and development is given, along with an overview of piezoelectricity for those readers who are not familiar with the topic. In Chapter 2, current investigations in piezoelectric energy harvesting research are summarized. The present research, namely understanding the quasi-static thermo-electro-mechanical response of piezoelectric materials is also summarized. In addition, two applications: thermal management in a satellite and energy harvesting from a vibrating highway bridge are detailed as motivators for the present research. Chapter 3 gives a summary of the relevant piezoelectric theory. In addition, electrical circuit theory and thermodynamic heat capacity/heat energy considerations required to complete the present research are given. Chapter 4 provides a summary of the experimental testing completed during the course of the present research. Significant testing, including determination of the PZT/Aluminum substrate sample time constants, thermal calibration testing

  9. Piezoelectric Pre-Stressed Bending Mechanism for Impact-Driven Energy Harvester

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdal, A. M.; Leong, K. S.

    2017-06-01

    This paper experimentally demonstrates and evaluates a piezoelectric power generator bending mechanism based on pre-stressed condition whereby the piezoelectric transducer being bended and remained in the stressed condition before applying a force on the piezoelectric bending structure, which increase the stress on the piezoelectric surface and hence increase the generated electrical charges. An impact force is being exerted onto bending the piezoelectric beam and hence generating electrical power across an external resistive load. The proposed bending mechanism prototype has been manufactured by employing 3D printer technology in order to conduct the evaluation. A free fall test has been conducted as the evaluation method with varying force using a series of different masses and different fall heights. A rectangular piezoelectric harvester beam with the size of 32mm in width, 70mm in length, and 0.55mm in thickness is used to demonstrate the experiment. It can be seen from the experiment that the instantaneous peak to peak AC volt output measured at open-circuit is increasing and saturated at about of 70V when an impact force of about 80N is being applied. It is also found that a maximum power of about 53mW is generated at an impact force of 50N when it is connected to an external resistive load of 0.7KΩ. The reported mechanism is a promising candidate in the application of energy harvesting for powering various wireless sensor nodes (WSN) which is the core of Internet of Things (IoT).

  10. Piezoelectric and mechanical properties of fatigue resistant, self-healing PZT-ionomer composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    James, N. K.; Lafont, U.; van der Zwaag, S.; Groen, W. A.

    2014-05-01

    Piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites with 0-3 connectivity were fabricated using lead zirconium titanate (PZT) powder dispersed in an ionomer (Zn ionomer) and its reference ethylene methacrylic acid copolymer (EMAA) polymer matrix. The PZT-Zn ionomer and PZT-EMAA composites were prepared by melt extrusion followed by hot pressing. The effects of poling conditions such as temperature, time and electric field on the piezoelectric properties of the composites were investigated. The experimentally observed piezoelectric charge coefficient and dielectric constant of the composites were compared with theoretical models. The results show that PZT-Zn ionomer composites have better piezoelectric properties compared to PZT-EMAA composites. The static and fatigue properties of the composites were investigated. The PZT-Zn ionomer composites were found to have excellent fatigue resistance even at strain levels of 4%. Due to the self-healing capabilities of the ionomer matrix, the loss of piezoelectric properties after high strain tensile cyclic loading could be partially recovered by thermal healing.

  11. Virus-based piezoelectric energy generation.

    PubMed

    Lee, Byung Yang; Zhang, Jinxing; Zueger, Chris; Chung, Woo-Jae; Yoo, So Young; Wang, Eddie; Meyer, Joel; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy; Lee, Seung-Wuk

    2012-05-13

    Piezoelectric materials can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, and piezoelectric devices made of a variety of inorganic materials and organic polymers have been demonstrated. However, synthesizing such materials often requires toxic starting compounds, harsh conditions and/or complex procedures. Previously, it was shown that hierarchically organized natural materials such as bones, collagen fibrils and peptide nanotubes can display piezoelectric properties. Here, we demonstrate that the piezoelectric and liquid-crystalline properties of M13 bacteriophage (phage) can be used to generate electrical energy. Using piezoresponse force microscopy, we characterize the structure-dependent piezoelectric properties of the phage at the molecular level. We then show that self-assembled thin films of phage can exhibit piezoelectric strengths of up to 7.8 pm V(-1). We also demonstrate that it is possible to modulate the dipole strength of the phage, hence tuning the piezoelectric response, by genetically engineering the major coat proteins of the phage. Finally, we develop a phage-based piezoelectric generator that produces up to 6 nA of current and 400 mV of potential and use it to operate a liquid-crystal display. Because biotechnology techniques enable large-scale production of genetically modified phages, phage-based piezoelectric materials potentially offer a simple and environmentally friendly approach to piezoelectric energy generation.

  12. Piezoelectric step-motion actuator

    DOEpatents

    Mentesana,; Charles, P [Leawood, KS

    2006-10-10

    A step-motion actuator using piezoelectric material to launch a flight mass which, in turn, actuates a drive pawl to progressively engage and drive a toothed wheel or rod to accomplish stepped motion. Thus, the piezoelectric material converts electrical energy into kinetic energy of the mass, and the drive pawl and toothed wheel or rod convert the kinetic energy of the mass into the desired rotary or linear stepped motion. A compression frame may be secured about the piezoelectric element and adapted to pre-compress the piezoelectric material so as to reduce tensile loads thereon. A return spring may be used to return the mass to its resting position against the compression frame or piezoelectric material following launch. Alternative embodiment are possible, including an alternative first embodiment wherein two masses are launched in substantially different directions, and an alternative second embodiment wherein the mass is eliminated in favor of the piezoelectric material launching itself.

  13. Synthesis of tin, silver and their alloy nanoparticles for lead-free interconnect applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Hongjin

    SnPb solders have long been used as interconnect materials in microelectronic packaging. Due to the health threat of lead to human beings, the use of lead-free interconnect materials is imperative. Three kinds of lead-free interconnect materials are being investigated, namely lead-free metal solders (SnAg, SnAgCu, etc.), electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, there are still limitations for the full utilization of these lead-free interconnect materials in the microelectronic packaging, such as higher melting point of lead-free metal solders, lower electrical conductivity of the ECAs and poor adhesion of CNTs to substrates. This thesis is devoted to the research and development of low processing temperature lead-free interconnect materials for microelectronic packaging applications with an emphasis on fundamental studies of nanoparticles synthesis, dispersion and oxidation prevention, and nanocomposites fabrication. Oxide-free tin (Sn), tin/silver (96.5Sn3.5Ag) and tin/silver/copper (96.5Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu) alloy nanoparticles with different sizes were synthesized by a low temperature chemical reduction method. Both size dependent melting point and latent heat of fusion of the synthesized nanoparticles were obtained. The nano lead-free solder pastes/composites created by dispersing the SnAg or SnAgCu alloy nanoparticles into an acidic type flux spread and wet on the cleaned copper surface at 220 to 230°C. This study demonstrated the feasibility of nano sized SnAg or SnAgCu alloy particle pastes for low processing temperature lead-free interconnect applications in microelectronic packaging.

  14. Piezoelectric Flexible LCP-PZT Composites for Sensor Applications at Elevated Temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tolvanen, Jarkko; Hannu, Jari; Juuti, Jari; Jantunen, Heli

    2018-03-01

    In this paper fabrication of piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites is demonstrated via filament extrusion enabling cost-efficient large-scale production of highly bendable pressure sensors feasible for elevated temperatures. These composites are fabricated by utilizing environmentally resistant and stable liquid crystal polymer matrix with addition of lead zirconate titanate at loading levels of 30 vol%. These composites, of approximately 0.99 mm thick and length of > 50 cm, achieved excellent bendability with minimum bending radius of 6.6 cm. The maximum piezoelectric coefficients d33 and g33 of the composites were > 14 pC/N and > 108 mVm/N at pressure < 10 kPa. In all cases, the piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) of the composites decreased as a function of pressure. Also, piezoelectric coefficient (d33) further decreased in the case of increased frequency press-release cycle sand pre-stress levels by approximately 37-50%. However, the obtained results provide tools for fabricating novel piezoelectric sensors in highly efficient way for environments with elevated temperatures.

  15. Rectifying the output of vibrational piezoelectric energy harvester using quantum dots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Lijie

    2017-03-01

    Piezoelectric energy harvester scavenges mechanical vibrations and generates electricity. Researchers have strived to optimize the electromechanical structures and to design necessary external power management circuits, aiming to deliver high power and rectified outputs ready for serving as batteries. Complex deformation of the mechanical structure results in charges with opposite polarities appearing on same surface, leading to current loss in the attached metal electrode. External power management circuits such as rectifiers comprise diodes that consume power and have undesirable forward bias. To address the above issues, we devise a novel integrated piezoelectric energy harvesting device that is structured by stacking a layer of quantum dots (QDs) and a layer of piezoelectric material. We find that the QD can rectify electrical charges generated from the piezoelectric material because of its adaptable conductance to the electrochemical potentials of both sides of the QDs layer, so that electrical current causing energy loss on the same surface of the piezoelectric material can be minimized. The QDs layer has the potential to replace external rectification circuits providing a much more compact and less power-consumption solution.

  16. Interpolation of hard and soft dilepton rates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghisoiu, I.; Laine, M.

    2014-10-01

    Strict next-to-leading order (NLO) results for the dilepton production rate from a QCD plasma at temperatures above a few hundred MeV suffer from a breakdown of the loop expansion in the regime of soft invariant masses M 2 ≪ ( πT)2. In this regime an LPM resummation is needed for obtaining the correct leading-order result. We show how to construct an interpolation between the hard NLO and the leading-order LPM expression, which is theoretically consistent in both regimes and free from double counting. The final numerical results are presented in a tabulated form, suitable for insertion into hydrodynamical codes.

  17. Variation of free asparagine concentration and association with quality parameters for hard red spring wheat grown in North Dakota

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Free asparagine in wheat is known to be a precursor for the formation of acrylamide which is unacceptable to consumers due to its potential risks to human health. This research was performed to determine variation of free asparagine concentration (FAC) in hard red spring (HRS) wheat grown in North ...

  18. Accelerated Discovery of Large Electrostrains in BaTiO3 -Based Piezoelectrics Using Active Learning.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Ruihao; Liu, Zhen; Balachandran, Prasanna V; Xue, Deqing; Zhou, Yumei; Ding, Xiangdong; Sun, Jun; Xue, Dezhen; Lookman, Turab

    2018-02-01

    A key challenge in guiding experiments toward materials with desired properties is to effectively navigate the vast search space comprising the chemistry and structure of allowed compounds. Here, it is shown how the use of machine learning coupled to optimization methods can accelerate the discovery of new Pb-free BaTiO 3 (BTO-) based piezoelectrics with large electrostrains. By experimentally comparing several design strategies, it is shown that the approach balancing the trade-off between exploration (using uncertainties) and exploitation (using only model predictions) gives the optimal criterion leading to the synthesis of the piezoelectric (Ba 0.84 Ca 0.16 )(Ti 0.90 Zr 0.07 Sn 0.03 )O 3 with the largest electrostrain of 0.23% in the BTO family. Using Landau theory and insights from density functional theory, it is uncovered that the observed large electrostrain is due to the presence of Sn, which allows for the ease of switching of tetragonal domains under an electric field. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. TECHNICAL NOTE: Actuation displacement performance change of pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators attached to a flat surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goo, Nam Seo; Phuoc Phan, Van; Park, Hoon Cheol

    2009-03-01

    Pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators such as RAINBOW, THUNDER™, and LIPCA have a curvature due to a mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion, which inevitably exists during the manufacturing process. This technical note provides an answer to the question of how their actuation displacement performance changes when the curved pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators are attached to a flat surface. Finite element analysis with the ANSYS™ program was used to calculate the stress distribution inside a LIPCA, one of the pre-stressed piezoelectric actuators, after the LIPCA was cured and attached to the flat surface. The change of actuation displacement performance can be explained in terms of the relation between the piezoelectric strain constants and internal stress. As a result of the curing and attachment to a flat surface, the two-dimensional stress state inside the piezoceramic layer leads to an expected increase of around 51% for the longitudinal piezoelectric strain constant. To confirm this result, we reconsider the experimental results of the actuation moment measurement of the LIPCA and bare lead zirconium titanate.

  20. Evolution of residual stress, free volume, and hardness in the laser shock peened Ti-based metallic glass

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Liang; Wang, Lu; Nie, Zhihua

    Laser shock peening (LSP) with different cycles was performed on the Ti-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). The sub-surface residual stress of the LSPed specimens was measured by high-energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD) and the near-surface residual stress was measured by scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam (SEM/FIB) instrument. The sub-surface residual stress in the LSP impact direction (about-170MPa) is much lower than that perpendicular to the impact direction (about -350 MPa), exhibiting anisotropy. The depth of the compressive stress zone increases from 400 mu m to 500 mu m with increasing LSP cycles. The highest near-surface residual stress is about -750 MPa.more » LSP caused the free volume to increase and the maximum increase appeared after the first LSP process. Compared with the hardness (567 +/- 7 HV) of the as-cast BMG, the hardness (590 +/- 9 HV) on the shocked surface shows a hardening effect due to the hardening mechanism of compressive residual stress; and the hardness (420 +/- 9 HV) on the longitudinal section shows a softening effect due to the softening mechanism of free volume.« less

  1. Logistics for the implementation of lead-free solders on electronic assemblies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vianco, P.T.; Artaki, I.

    1993-12-31

    The prospects of legislative and regulatory action aimed at taxing, restricting or banning lead-bearing materials from manufactured products has prompted the electronics community to examine the implementation of lead-free solders to replace currently used lead-containing alloys in the manufacture of electronic devices and assemblies. The logistics for changing the well established ``tin-lead solder technology`` require not only the selection of new compositions but also the qualification of different surface finishes and manufacturing processes. The meniscometer/wetting balance technique was used to evaluate the wettability of several candidate lead-free solders as well as to establish windows on processing parameters so as tomore » facilitate prototype manufacturing. Electroplated and electroless 100Sn coatings, as well as organic preservatives, were also examined as potential alternative finishes for device leads and terminations as well as circuit board conductor surfaces to replace traditional tin-lead layers. Sandia National Laboratories and AT&T have implemented a program to qualify the manufacturing feasibility of surface mount prototype circuit boards using several commercial lead-free solders by infrared reflow technology.« less

  2. Stable Ferroelectric Behavior of Nb-Modified Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 Lead-Free Relaxor Ferroelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaman, Arif; Malik, Rizwan Ahmed; Maqbool, Adnan; Hussain, Ali; Ahmed, Tanveer; Song, Tae Kwon; Kim, Won-Jeong; Kim, Myong-Ho

    2018-03-01

    Crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and electric field-induced strain properties of lead-free Nb-modified 0.96Bi0.5K0.5TiO3-0.04Bi(Mg0.5Ti0.5)O3 (BKT-BMT) piezoelectric ceramics were investigated. Crystal structure analysis showed a gradual phase transition from tetragonal to pseudocubic phase with increasing Nb content. The optimal piezoelectric property of small-signal d 33 was enhanced up to ˜ 68 pC/N with a lower coercive field ( E c) of ˜ 22 kV/cm and an improved remnant polarization ( P r) of ˜ 13 μC/cm2 for x = 0.020. A relaxor-like behavior with a frequency-dependent Curie temperature T m was observed, and a high T m around 320°C was obtained in the investigated system. This study suggests that the ferroelectric properties of BKT-BMT was significantly improved by means of Nb substitution. The possible shift of depolarization temperature T d toward high temperature T m may have triggered the spontaneous relaxor to ferroelectric phase transition with long-range ferroelectric order without any traces of a nonergodic relaxor state in contradiction with Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-based systems. The possible enhancement in ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties near the critical composition x = 0.020 may be attributed to the increased anharmonicity of lattice vibrations which may facilitate the observed phase transition from a low-symmetry tetragonal to a high-symmetry cubic phase with a decrease in the lattice anisotropy of an undoped sample. This highly flexible (at a unit cell level) narrow compositional range triggers the enhancement of d 33 and P r values.

  3. Effect of conventional and sugar free pediatric syrup formulations on primary tooth enamel hardness: An in vitro study.

    PubMed

    Mali, Gaurao Vasant; Dodamani, Arun Suresh; Karibasappa, Gundabaktha Nagappa; Kumar, Prashanth Vishwakarma; Jain, Vardhaman Mulchand

    2015-01-01

    To assess and compare the effect of conventional and sugar free pediatric syrup formulations on primary tooth enamel hardness over a period of 14 days. An in vitro study was done on 40 noncarious deciduous teeth. 10 teeth in each group were dipped in 4 pediatric medicinal syrups (1 sugarfree and 3 conventional) for 1 min thrice daily for 14 days and the enamel surface micro hardness was checked at baseline, 7 th day and 14 th day by Vickers hardness testing machine. The pH, titratable acidity and buffering capacity of the syrups were assessed. The pH of syrups were above critical pH for demineralization of the tooth but tiratable acidity and buffering capacity differed. ANOVA test indicated that the reduction in mean micro hardness was maximum in Group D (Conventional Analgesic syrup) and least in Group A (Sugarfree cough syrup) on 7 th and 14 th day. On intergroup comparison there was no difference (P > 0.05) in micro hardness between Group B (Conventional Cough syrup) and Group C (Conventional Antibiotic). However, highly significant (P < 0.01) difference between the either pair of Group B with Group D, and Group C with Group D on 14 th day. The percentage reduction in micro hardness on 14 th day was maximum for Group D (24.4 ± 2.2) and minimum for Group A (14.0 ± 1.3) which was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Sugar free pediatric medicines can be effective in reducing dental erosion and efforts should be made to incorporate sugar substitutes in formulation of pediatric medicines.

  4. An Equivalent Circuit of Longitudinal Vibration for a Piezoelectric Structure with Losses.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Tao; Li, Chaodong; Fan, Pingqing

    2018-03-22

    Equivalent circuits of piezoelectric structures such as bimorphs and unimorphs conventionally focus on the bending vibration modes. However, the longitudinal vibration modes are rarely considered even though they also play a remarkable role in piezoelectric devices. Losses, especially elastic loss in the metal substrate, are also generally neglected, which leads to discrepancies compared with experiments. In this paper, a novel equivalent circuit with four kinds of losses is proposed for a beamlike piezoelectric structure under the longitudinal vibration mode. This structure consists of a slender beam as the metal substrate, and a piezoelectric patch which covers a partial length of the beam. In this approach, first, complex numbers are used to deal with four kinds of losses-elastic loss in the metal substrate, and piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic losses in the piezoelectric patch. Next in this approach, based on Mason's model, a new equivalent circuit is developed. Using MATLAB, impedance curves of this structure are simulated by the equivalent circuit method. Experiments are conducted and good agreements are revealed between experiments and equivalent circuit results. It is indicated that the introduction of four losses in an equivalent circuit can increase the result accuracy considerably.

  5. An Equivalent Circuit of Longitudinal Vibration for a Piezoelectric Structure with Losses

    PubMed Central

    Yuan, Tao; Li, Chaodong; Fan, Pingqing

    2018-01-01

    Equivalent circuits of piezoelectric structures such as bimorphs and unimorphs conventionally focus on the bending vibration modes. However, the longitudinal vibration modes are rarely considered even though they also play a remarkable role in piezoelectric devices. Losses, especially elastic loss in the metal substrate, are also generally neglected, which leads to discrepancies compared with experiments. In this paper, a novel equivalent circuit with four kinds of losses is proposed for a beamlike piezoelectric structure under the longitudinal vibration mode. This structure consists of a slender beam as the metal substrate, and a piezoelectric patch which covers a partial length of the beam. In this approach, first, complex numbers are used to deal with four kinds of losses—elastic loss in the metal substrate, and piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic losses in the piezoelectric patch. Next in this approach, based on Mason’s model, a new equivalent circuit is developed. Using MATLAB, impedance curves of this structure are simulated by the equivalent circuit method. Experiments are conducted and good agreements are revealed between experiments and equivalent circuit results. It is indicated that the introduction of four losses in an equivalent circuit can increase the result accuracy considerably. PMID:29565825

  6. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project: Vibration Test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodrow, Thomas A.

    2010-01-01

    Vibration testing was conducted by Boeing Research and Technology (Seattle) for the NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Solder Project. This project is a follow-on to the Joint Council on Aging Aircraft/Joint Group on Pollution Prevention (JCAA/JG-PP) Lead-Free Solder Project which was the first group to test the reliability of lead-free solder joints against the requirements of the aerospace/miLItary community. Twenty seven test vehicles were subjected to the vibration test conditions (in two batches). The random vibration Power Spectral Density (PSD) input was increased during the test every 60 minutes in an effort to fail as many components as possible within the time allotted for the test. The solder joints on the components were electrically monitored using event detectors and any solder joint failures were recorded on a Labview-based data collection system. The number of test minutes required to fail a given component attached with SnPb solder was then compared to the number of test minutes required to fail the same component attached with lead-free solder. A complete modal analysis was conducted on one test vehicle using a laser vibrometer system which measured velocities, accelerations, and displacements at one . hundred points. The laser vibrometer data was used to determine the frequencies of the major modes of the test vehicle and the shapes of the modes. In addition, laser vibrometer data collected during the vibration test was used to calculate the strains generated by the first mode (using custom software). After completion of the testing, all of the test vehicles were visually inspected and cross sections were made. Broken component leads and other unwanted failure modes were documented.

  7. Claudio Pellegrini and the World’s First Hard X-ray Free-Electron Laser

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pellegrini, Claudio

    2015-10-20

    President Obama welcomed SLAC's Claudio Pellegrini inside the Oval Office on Tuesday morning as a recipient of the Enrico Fermi Award, one of the highest honors the U.S. government can give to a scientist. Pellegrini, a visiting scientist and consulting professor at SLAC and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, received the award for research that aided in the development of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) including SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a DOE Office of Science User Facility that started up in 2009. Here, Pellegrini describes his efforts that contributed to the realization of SLAC’smore » Linac Coherent Light Source, the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser.« less

  8. Large piezoelectricity in electric-field modified single crystals of SrTiO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khanbabaee, B.; Mehner, E.; Richter, C.; Hanzig, J.; Zschornak, M.; Pietsch, U.; Stöcker, H.; Leisegang, T.; Meyer, D. C.; Gorfman, S.

    2016-11-01

    Defect engineering is an effective and powerful tool to control the existing material properties and produce completely new ones, which are symmetry-forbidden in a defect-free crystal. For example, the application of a static electric field to a single crystal of SrTiO3 forms a strained near-surface layer through the migration of oxygen vacancies out of the area beneath the positively charged electrode. While it was previously shown that this near-surface phase holds pyroelectric properties, which are symmetry-forbidden in centrosymmetric bulk SrTiO3, this paper reports that the same phase is strongly piezoelectric. We demonstrate the piezoelectricity of this phase through stroboscopic time-resolved X-ray diffraction under alternating electric field and show that the effective piezoelectric coefficient d33 ranges between 60 and 100 pC/N. The possible atomistic origins of the piezoelectric activity are discussed as a coupling between the electrostrictive effect and spontaneous polarization of this near-surface phase.

  9. Wave propagation through a flexoelectric piezoelectric slab sandwiched by two piezoelectric half-spaces.

    PubMed

    Jiao, Fengyu; Wei, Peijun; Li, Yueqiu

    2018-01-01

    Reflection and transmission of plane waves through a flexoelectric piezoelectric slab sandwiched by two piezoelectric half-spaces are studied in this paper. The secular equations in the flexoelectric piezoelectric material are first derived from the general governing equation. Different from the classical piezoelectric medium, there are five kinds of coupled elastic waves in the piezoelectric material with the microstructure effects taken into consideration. The state vectors are obtained by the summation of contributions from all possible partial waves. The state transfer equation of flexoelectric piezoelectric slab is derived from the motion equation by the reduction of order, and the transfer matrix of flexoelectric piezoelectric slab is obtained by solving the state transfer equation. By using the continuous conditions at the interface and the approach of partition matrix, we get the resultant algebraic equations in term of the transfer matrix from which the reflection and transmission coefficients can be calculated. The amplitude ratios and further the energy flux ratios of various waves are evaluated numerically. The numerical results are shown graphically and are validated by the energy conservation law. Based on these numerical results, the influences of two characteristic lengths of microstructure and the flexoelectric coefficients on the wave propagation are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Notes on Piezoelectricity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Redondo, Antonio

    These notes provide a pedagogical discussion of the physics of piezoelectricity. The exposition starts with a brief analysis of the classical (continuum) theory of piezoelectric phenomena in solids. The main subject of the notes is, however, a quantum mechanical analysis. We first derive the Frohlich Hamiltonian as part of the description of the electron-phonon interaction. The results of this analysis are then employed to derive the equations of piezoelectricity. A couple of examples with the zinc blende and and wurtzite structures are presented at the end

  11. High-response piezoelectricity modeled quantitatively near a phase boundary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newns, Dennis M.; Kuroda, Marcelo A.; Cipcigan, Flaviu S.; Crain, Jason; Martyna, Glenn J.

    2017-01-01

    Interconversion of mechanical and electrical energy via the piezoelectric effect is fundamental to a wide range of technologies. The discovery in the 1990s of giant piezoelectric responses in certain materials has therefore opened new application spaces, but the origin of these properties remains a challenge to our understanding. A key role is played by the presence of a structural instability in these materials at compositions near the "morphotropic phase boundary" (MPB) where the crystal structure changes abruptly and the electromechanical responses are maximal. Here we formulate a simple, unified theoretical description which accounts for extreme piezoelectric response, its observation at compositions near the MPB, accompanied by ultrahigh dielectric constant and mechanical compliances with rather large anisotropies. The resulting model, based upon a Landau free energy expression, is capable of treating the important domain engineered materials and is found to be predictive while maintaining simplicity. It therefore offers a general and powerful means of accounting for the full set of signature characteristics in these functional materials including volume conserving sum rules and strong substrate clamping effects.

  12. Piezoelectric Vibration Damping Study for Rotating Composite Fan Blades

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Min, James B.; Duffy, Kirsten P.; Choi, Benjamin B.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Kray, Nicholas

    2012-01-01

    Resonant vibrations of aircraft engine blades cause blade fatigue problems in engines, which can lead to thicker and aerodynamically lower performing blade designs, increasing engine weight, fuel burn, and maintenance costs. In order to mitigate undesirable blade vibration levels, active piezoelectric vibration control has been investigated, potentially enabling thinner blade designs for higher performing blades and minimizing blade fatigue problems. While the piezoelectric damping idea has been investigated by other researchers over the years, very little study has been done including rotational effects. The present study attempts to fill this void. The particular objectives of this study were: (a) to develop and analyze a multiphysics piezoelectric finite element composite blade model for harmonic forced vibration response analysis coupled with a tuned RLC circuit for rotating engine blade conditions, (b) to validate a numerical model with experimental test data, and (c) to achieve a cost-effective numerical modeling capability which enables simulation of rotating blades within the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) Dynamic Spin Rig Facility. A numerical and experimental study for rotating piezoelectric composite subscale fan blades was performed. It was also proved that the proposed numerical method is feasible and effective when applied to the rotating blade base excitation model. The experimental test and multiphysics finite element modeling technique described in this paper show that piezoelectric vibration damping can significantly reduce vibrations of aircraft engine composite fan blades.

  13. Evolving morphotropic phase boundary in lead-free (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-BaTiO3 piezoceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jo, Wook; Daniels, John E.; Jones, Jacob L.; Tan, Xiaoli; Thomas, Pamela A.; Damjanovic, Dragan; Rödel, Jürgen

    2011-01-01

    The correlation between structure and electrical properties of lead-free (1-x)(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-xBaTiO3 (BNT-100xBT) polycrystalline piezoceramics was investigated systematically by in situ synchrotron diffraction technique, combined with electrical property characterization. It was found that the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between a rhombohedral and a tetragonal phase evolved into a morphotropic phase region with electric field. In the unpoled material, the MPB was positioned at the transition from space group R3m to P4mm (BNT-11BT) with optimized permittivity throughout a broad single-phase R3m composition regime. Upon poling, a range of compositions from BNT-6BT to BNT-11BT became two-phase mixture, and maximum piezoelectric coefficient was observed in BNT-7BT. It was shown that optimized electrical properties are related primarily to the capacity for domain texturing and not to phase coexistence.

  14. Fundamental understanding of wave generation and reception using d(36) type piezoelectric transducers.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Wensong; Li, Hui; Yuan, Fuh-Gwo

    2015-03-01

    A new piezoelectric wafer made from a PMN-PT single crystal with dominant piezoelectric coefficient d36 is proposed to generate and detect guided waves on isotropic plates. The in-plane shear coupled with electric field arising from the piezoelectric coefficient is not usually present for conventional piezoelectric wafers, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The direct piezoelectric effect of coefficient d36 indicates that under external in-plane shear stress the charge is induced on a face perpendicular to the poled z-direction. On thin plates, this type of piezoelectric wafer will generate shear horizontal (SH) waves in two orthogonal wave propagation directions as well as two Lamb wave modes in other wave propagation directions. Finite element analyses are employed to explore the wave disturbance in terms of time-varying displacements excited by the d36 wafer in different directions of wave propagation to understand all the guided wave modes accurately. Experiments are conducted to examine the voltage responses received by this type of wafer, and also investigate results of tuning frequency and effects of d31 piezoelectric coefficient, which is intentionally ignored in the finite element analysis. All results demonstrate the main features and utility of proposed d36 piezoelectric wafer for guided wave generation and detection in structural health monitoring. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Subperiosteal preparation using a new piezoelectric device: a histological examination.

    PubMed

    Stoetzer, Marcus; Magel, Anja; Kampmann, Andreas; Lemound, Juliana; Gellrich, Nils-Claudius; von See, Constantin

    2014-01-01

    Subperiosteal preparation using a periosteal elevator leads to disturbances of local immunohistochemistry and periosteal histology due to a microtrauma. Usually soft-tissue damage can be considerably reduced by using piezoelectric technology. For this reason, the effects of a novel piezoelectric device on immunohistochemistry and periosteal histology were examined and compared to conventional preparation of the periosteum using a periosteal elevator. Lewis rats were randomly assigned to one of five groups (n=50). Subperiosteal preparation was performed using either a piezoelectric device or a periosteal elevator. Immunohistochemical and histological analyses were performed immediately after preparation as well as three and eight days postoperatively. A statistical analysis of the histological colouring was performed offline using analysis of variance (ANOVA) on ranks (p<0.05). At all times, immunohistochemical and histological analysis demonstrated a significantly more homogenous tissue structure in the group of rats that underwent piezosurgery than in the group of rats that underwent treatment with a periosteal elevator. The use of a piezoelectric device for subperiosteal preparation is associated with more harmonious immunohistochemical and histological results for the periosteum than the use of a conventional periosteal elevator. As a result, piezoelectric devices can be expected to have a positive effect primarily on soft tissue, in particular of the periosteal as well as on surrounding tissues.

  16. Finite element modelling to assess the effect of surface mounted piezoelectric patch size on vibration response of a hybrid beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, N.; Alam, M. N.

    2018-02-01

    Vibration response analysis of a hybrid beam with surface mounted patch piezoelectric layer is presented in this work. A one dimensional finite element (1D-FE) model based on efficient layerwise (zigzag) theory is used for the analysis. The beam element has eight mechanical and a variable number of electrical degrees of freedom. The beams are also modelled in 2D-FE (ABAQUS) using a plane stress piezoelectric quadrilateral element for piezo layers and a plane stress quadrilateral element for the elastic layers of hybrid beams. Results are presented to assess the effect of size of piezoelectric patch layer on the free and forced vibration responses of thin and moderately thick beams under clamped-free and clamped-clamped configurations. The beams are subjected to unit step loading and harmonic loading to obtain the forced vibration responses. The vibration control using in phase actuation potential on piezoelectric patches is also studied. The 1D-FE results are compared with the 2D-FE results.

  17. Low-Frequency and Broadband Vibration Energy Harvesting Using Base-Mounted Piezoelectric Transducers.

    PubMed

    Koven, Robert; Mills, Matthew; Gale, Richard; Aksak, Burak

    2017-11-01

    Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters often consist of a cantilevered beam composed of a support layer and one or two piezoelectric layers with a tip mass. While this configuration is advantageous for maximizing electromechanical coupling, the mechanical properties of the piezoelectric material can place limitations on harvester size and resonant frequency. Here, we present numerical and experimental results from a new type of piezoelectric energy harvester in which the mechanical properties and the resonant frequency of the cantilever beam resonator are effectively decoupled from the piezoelectric component. Referred to as a base-mounted piezoelectric (BMP) harvester in this paper, this new design features a piezoelectric transducer mounted beneath the base of the cantilevered beam resonator. The flexibility in the material choice for the cantilever beam resonator means that the resonant frequency and the beam dimensions are essentially free parameters. A prototype made with a 1.6 mm mm mm polyurethane beam, a PZT-5H piezoelectric transducer, and an 8.36-g tip mass is shown to produce an average power of 8.75 and at 45 Hz across a 13.0- load under harmonic base excitations of constant peak acceleration at 0.25 and 1.0-g, respectively. We also show an increase in full-width half-maximum bandwidth approximately from 1.5 to 5.6 Hz using an array of four individual BMP harvesters of similar dimensions with peak power generation of at 37.6 Hz across a 1.934- load at 0.25-g peak base excitation. Finite elements-based numerical simulations are shown to be in reasonable agreement with experimental results, indicating that the harvester behaves like a damped mass-spring system as proposed in this paper. Fabricated using casting and laser machining techniques, this harvester shows potential as a low-cost option for powering small, low-power wireless sensor nodes and other low-power devices.

  18. Piezoelectric Resonator with Two Layers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stephanou, Philip J. (Inventor); Black, Justin P. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    A piezoelectric resonator device includes: a top electrode layer with a patterned structure, a top piezoelectric layer adjacent to the top layer, a middle metal layer adjacent to the top piezoelectric layer opposite the top layer, a bottom piezoelectric layer adjacent to the middle layer opposite the top piezoelectric layer, and a bottom electrode layer with a patterned structure and adjacent to the bottom piezoelectric layer opposite the middle layer. The top layer includes a first plurality of electrodes inter-digitated with a second plurality of electrodes. A first one of the electrodes in the top layer and a first one of the electrodes in the bottom layer are coupled to a first contact, and a second one of the electrodes in the top layer and a second one of the electrodes in the bottom layer are coupled to a second contact.

  19. Stretchable piezoelectric nanocomposite generator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Kwi-Il; Jeong, Chang Kyu; Kim, Na Kyung; Lee, Keon Jae

    2016-06-01

    Piezoelectric energy conversion that generate electric energy from ambient mechanical and vibrational movements is promising energy harvesting technology because it can use more accessible energy resources than other renewable natural energy. In particular, flexible and stretchable piezoelectric energy harvesters which can harvest the tiny biomechanical motions inside human body into electricity properly facilitate not only the self-powered energy system for flexible and wearable electronics but also sensitive piezoelectric sensors for motion detectors and in vivo diagnosis kits. Since the piezoelectric ZnO nanowires (NWs)-based energy harvesters (nanogenerators) were proposed in 2006, many researchers have attempted the nanogenerator by using the various fabrication process such as nanowire growth, electrospinning, and transfer techniques with piezoelectric materials including polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer and perovskite ceramics. In 2012, the composite-based nanogenerators were developed using simple, low-cost, and scalable methods to overcome the significant issues with previously-reported energy harvester, such as insufficient output performance and size limitation. This review paper provides a brief overview of flexible and stretchable piezoelectric nanocomposite generator for realizing the self-powered energy system with development history, power performance, and applications.

  20. Trading leads to scale-free self-organization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebert, M.; Paul, W.

    2012-12-01

    Financial markets display scale-free behavior in many different aspects. The power-law behavior of part of the distribution of individual wealth has been recognized by Pareto as early as the nineteenth century. Heavy-tailed and scale-free behavior of the distribution of returns of different financial assets have been confirmed in a series of works. The existence of a Pareto-like distribution of the wealth of market participants has been connected with the scale-free distribution of trading volumes and price-returns. The origin of the Pareto-like wealth distribution, however, remained obscure. Here we show that in a market where the imbalance of supply and demand determines the direction of prize changes, it is the process of trading itself that spontaneously leads to a self-organization of the market with a Pareto-like wealth distribution for the market participants and at the same time to a scale-free behavior of return fluctuations and trading volume distributions.

  1. Analysis of piezoelectric energy harvester under modulated and filtered white Gaussian noise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quaranta, Giuseppe; Trentadue, Francesco; Maruccio, Claudio; Marano, Giuseppe C.

    2018-05-01

    This paper proposes a comprehensive method for the electromechanical probabilistic analysis of piezoelectric energy harvesters subjected to modulated and filtered white Gaussian noise (WGN) at the base. Specifically, the dynamic excitation is simulated by means of an amplitude-modulated WGN, which is filtered through the Clough-Penzien filter. The considered piezoelectric harvester is a cantilever bimorph modeled as Euler-Bernoulli beam with a concentrated mass at the free-end, and its global behavior is approximated by the fundamental vibration mode (which is tuned with the dominant frequency of the dynamic input). A resistive electrical load is considered in the circuit. Once the Lyapunov equation of the coupled electromechanical problem has been formulated, an original and efficient semi-analytical procedure is proposed to estimate mean and standard deviation of the electrical energy extracted from the piezoelectric layers.

  2. Exact analytical solution of shear-induced flexural vibration of functionally graded piezoelectric beam

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sharma, Pankaj, E-mail: psharma@rtu.ac.in; Parashar, Sandeep Kumar, E-mail: parashar2@yahoo.com

    The priority of this paper is to obtain the exact analytical solution for free flexural vibration of FGPM beam actuated using the d{sub 15} effect. In piezoelectric actuators, the potential use of d{sub 15} effect has been of particular interest for engineering applications since shear piezoelectric coefficient d15 is much higher than the other piezoelectric coupling constants d{sub 31} and d{sub 33}. The applications of shear actuators are to induce and control the flexural vibrations of beams and plates. In this study, a modified Timoshenko beam theory is used where electric potential is assumed to vary sinusoidaly along the thicknessmore » direction. The material properties are assumed to be graded across the thickness in accordance with power law distribution. Hamilton's principle is employed to obtain the equations of motion along with the associated boundary conditions for FGPM beams. Exact analytical solution is derived thus obtained equations of motion. Results for clamped-clamped and clamped-free boundary conditions are presented. The presented result and method shell serve as benchmark for comparing the results obtained from the other approximate methods.« less

  3. Design Requirements for Amorphous Piezoelectric Polymers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ounaies, Z.; Young, J. A.; Harrison, J. S.

    1999-01-01

    An overview of the piezoelectric activity in amorphous piezoelectric polymers is presented. The criteria required to render a polymer piezoelectric are discussed. Although piezoelectricity is a coupling between mechanical and electrical properties, most research has concentrated on the electrical properties of potentially piezoelectric polymers. In this work, we present comparative mechanical data as a function of temperature and offer a summary of polarization and electromechanical properties for each of the polymers considered.

  4. Electrical and mechanical fully coupled theory and experimental verification of Rosen-type piezoelectric transformers.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Yu-Hsiang; Lee, Chih-Kung; Hsiao, Wen-Hsin

    2005-10-01

    A piezoelectric transformer is a power transfer device that converts its input and output voltage as well as current by effectively using electrical and mechanical coupling effects of piezoelectric materials. Equivalent-circuit models, which are traditionally used to analyze piezoelectric transformers, merge each mechanical resonance effect into a series of ordinary differential equations. Because of using ordinary differential equations, equivalent circuit models are insufficient to reflect the mechanical behavior of piezoelectric plates. Electromechanically, fully coupled governing equations of Rosen-type piezoelectric transformers, which are partial differential equations in nature, can be derived to address the deficiencies of the equivalent circuit models. It can be shown that the modal actuator concept can be adopted to optimize the electromechanical coupling effect of the driving section once the added spatial domain design parameters are taken into account, which are three-dimensional spatial dependencies of electromechanical properties. The maximum power transfer condition for a Rosen-type piezoelectric transformer is detailed. Experimental results, which lead us to a series of new design rules, also are presented to prove the validity and effectiveness of the theoretical predictions.

  5. Hybrid Piezoelectric/Fiber-Optic Sensor Sheets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, Mark; Qing, Xinlin

    2004-01-01

    Hybrid piezoelectric/fiber-optic (HyPFO) sensor sheets are undergoing development. They are intended for use in nondestructive evaluation and long-term monitoring of the integrity of diverse structures, including aerospace, aeronautical, automotive, and large stationary ones. It is anticipated that the further development and subsequent commercialization of the HyPFO sensor systems will lead to economic benefits in the form of increased safety, reduction of life-cycle costs through real-time structural monitoring, increased structural reliability, reduction of maintenance costs, and increased readiness for service. The concept of a HyPFO sensor sheet is a generalization of the concept of a SMART Layer(TradeMark), which is a patented device that comprises a thin dielectric film containing an embedded network of distributed piezoelectric actuator/sensors. Such a device can be mounted on the surface of a metallic structure or embedded inside a composite-material structure during fabrication of the structure. There is has been substantial interest in incorporating sensors other than piezoelectric ones into SMART Layer(TradeMark) networks: in particular, because of the popularity of the use of fiber-optic sensors for monitoring the "health" of structures in recent years, it was decided to incorporate fiber-optic sensors, giving rise to the concept of HyPFO devices.

  6. Lead-free hunting rifle ammunition: product availability, price, effectiveness, and role in global wildlife conservation.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Vernon George

    2013-10-01

    Proposals to end the use of lead hunting ammunition because of the established risks of lead exposure to wildlife and humans are impeded by concerns about the availability, price, and effectiveness of substitutes. The product availability and retail prices of different calibers of lead-free bullets and center-fire rifle ammunition were assessed for ammunition sold in the USA and Europe. Lead-free bullets are made in 35 calibers and 51 rifle cartridge designations. Thirty-seven companies distribute internationally ammunition made with lead-free bullets. There is no major difference in the retail price of equivalent lead-free and lead-core ammunition for most popular calibers. Lead-free ammunition has set bench-mark standards for accuracy, lethality, and safety. Given the demonstrated wide product availability, comparable prices, and the effectiveness of high-quality lead-free ammunition, it is possible to phase out the use of lead hunting ammunition world-wide, based on progressive policy and enforceable legislation.

  7. Rotor damage detection by using piezoelectric impedance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Y.; Tao, Y.; Mao, Y. F.

    2016-04-01

    Rotor is a core component of rotary machinery. Once the rotor has the damage, it may lead to a major accident. Thus the quantitative rotor damage detection method based on piezoelectric impedance is studied in this paper. With the governing equation of piezoelectric transducer (PZT) in a cylindrical coordinate, the displacement along the radius direction is derived. The charge of PZT is calculated by the electric displacement. Then, by the use of the obtained displacement and charge, an analytic piezoelectric impedance model of the rotor is built. Given the circular boundary condition of a rotor, annular elements are used as the analyzed objects and spectral element method is used to set up the damage detection model. The Electro-Mechanical (E/M) coupled impedance expression of an undamaged rotor is deduced with the application of a low-cost impedance test circuit. A Taylor expansion method is used to obtain the approximate E/M coupled impedance expression for the damaged rotor. After obtaining the difference between the undamaged and damaged rotor impedance, a rotor damage detection method is proposed. This method can directly calculate the change of bending stiffness of the structural elements, it follows that the rotor damage can be effectively detected. Finally, a preset damage configuration is used for the numerical simulation. The result shows that the quantitative damage detection algorithm based on spectral element method and piezoelectric impedance proposed in this paper can identify the location and the severity of the damaged rotor accurately.

  8. Piezoelectrically forced vibrations of rectangular SC-cut quartz plates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, P. C. Y.; Lin, W. S.

    1998-06-01

    A system of two-dimensional first-order equations for piezoelectric crystal plates with general symmetry and with electroded faces was recently deduced from the three-dimensional equations of linear piezoelectricity. Solutions of these equations for AT-cut plates of quartz were shown to give accurate dispersion curves without corrections, and the resonances predicted agree closely with the experimental data of Koga and Fukuyo [I. Koga and H. Fukuyo, J. Inst. Electr. Commun. Eng. Jpn. 36, 59 (1953)] and that of Nakazawa, Horiuchi, and Ito (M. Nakazawa, K. Horiuchi, and H. Ito, Proceedings of the 1990 IEEE Ultrasonics Symposium, pp. 547-555). In this article, these equations are employed to study the free as well as the forced vibrations of doubly rotated quartz plates. Solutions of straight-crested vibrational modes varying in the x1 and x3 directions of SC-cut quartz plates of infinite extent are obtained and from which dispersion curves are computed. Comparison of those dispersion curves with those from the three-dimensional equations shows that the agreement is very close without any corrections. Resonance frequencies for free vibrations and capacitance ratios for piezoelectrically forced vibrations are computed and examined for various length-to-thickness or width-to-thickness ratios of rectangular SC-cut quartz plates. The capacitance ratio as a function of forcing frequency is computed for a rectangular AT-cut quartz and compared with the experimental data of Seikimoto, Watanabe, and Nakazawa (H. Sekimoto, Y. Watanabe, and M. Nakazawa, Proceedings of the 1992 IEEE Frequency Control Symposium, pp. 532-536) and is in close agreement.

  9. Fabrication and characteristics of thin disc piezoelectric transformers based on piezoelectric buzzers with gap circles.

    PubMed

    Chang, Kuo-Tsai; Lee, Chun-Wei

    2008-04-01

    This paper investigates design, fabrication and test of thin disc piezoelectric transformers (PTs) based on piezoelectric buzzers with gap circles at different diameters of the gap circles. The performance test is focused on characteristics of voltage gains, including maximum voltage gains and maximum-gain frequencies, for each piezoelectric transformer under different load conditions. Both a piezoelectric buzzer and a gap circle on a silver electrode of the buzzer are needed to build any type of the PTs. Here, the gap circle is used to form a ring-shaped input electrode and a circle-shaped output electrode for each piezoelectric transformer. To do so, both structure and connection of a PT are first expressed. Then, operating principle of a PT and its related vibration mode observed by a carbon-power imaging technique are described. Moreover, an experimental setup for characterizing each piezoelectric transformer is constructed. Finally, effects of diameters of the gap circles on characteristics of voltage gains at different load resistances are discussed.

  10. Integration of lead-free ferroelectric on HfO2/Si (100) for high performance non-volatile memory applications

    PubMed Central

    Kundu, Souvik; Maurya, Deepam; Clavel, Michael; Zhou, Yuan; Halder, Nripendra N.; Hudait, Mantu K.; Banerji, Pallab; Priya, Shashank

    2015-01-01

    We introduce a novel lead-free ferroelectric thin film (1-x)BaTiO3-xBa(Cu1/3Nb2/3)O3 (x = 0.025) (BT-BCN) integrated on to HfO2 buffered Si for non-volatile memory (NVM) applications. Piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), x-ray diffraction, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were employed to establish the ferroelectricity in BT-BCN thin films. PFM study reveals that the domains reversal occurs with 180° phase change by applying external voltage, demonstrating its effectiveness for NVM device applications. X-ray photoelectron microscopy was used to investigate the band alignments between atomic layer deposited HfO2 and pulsed laser deposited BT-BCN films. Programming and erasing operations were explained on the basis of band-alignments. The structure offers large memory window, low leakage current, and high and low capacitance values that were easily distinguishable even after ~106 s, indicating strong charge storage potential. This study explains a new approach towards the realization of ferroelectric based memory devices integrated on Si platform and also opens up a new possibility to embed the system within current complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor processing technology. PMID:25683062

  11. Lead-Free Electronics: Impact for Space Electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sampson, Michael J.

    2010-01-01

    Pb is used as a constituent in solder alloys used to connect and attach electronic parts to printed wiring boards (PWBs). Similar Pbbearing alloys are electroplated or hot dipped onto the terminations of electronic parts to protect the terminations and make them solderable. Changing to Pb-free solders and termination finishes has introduced significant technical challenges into the supply chain. Tin/lead (Sn/Pb) alloys have been the solders of choice for electronics for more than 50 years. Pb-free solder alloys are available but there is not a plug-in replacement for 60/40 or 63/37 (Sn/Pb) alloys, which have been the industry workhorses.

  12. Adaptive piezoelectric sensoriactuator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark, Jr., Robert L. (Inventor); Vipperman, Jeffrey S. (Inventor); Cole, Daniel G. (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    An adaptive algorithm implemented in digital or analog form is used in conjunction with a voltage controlled amplifier to compensate for the feedthrough capacitance of piezoelectric sensoriactuator. The mechanical response of the piezoelectric sensoriactuator is resolved from the electrical response by adaptively altering the gain imposed on the electrical circuit used for compensation. For wideband, stochastic input disturbances, the feedthrough capacitance of the sensoriactuator can be identified on-line, providing a means of implementing direct-rate-feedback control in analog hardware. The device is capable of on-line system health monitoring since a quasi-stable dynamic capacitance is indicative of sustained health of the piezoelectric element.

  13. Aspects of the structural evolution of lead-free solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zribi, A.; Kinyanjui, R.; Borgesen, P.; Zavalij, L.; Cotts, E. J.

    2002-06-01

    Studies of the formation of intermetallic compounds at some lead-free solder/metallization interfaces are briefly reviewed in this article. SnAgCu/Ni and SnAgCu/Cu interfaces are examined in particular. It has been found that (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 forms at SnAgCu/Ni interfaces until copper is depleted from the solder matrix. This article also contrasts the formation of (Au,Ni)Sn4 and related compounds in PbSn/Ni solder joints and lead-free solder joints.

  14. Torsion sensing based on patterned piezoelectric beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cha, Youngsu; You, Hangil

    2018-03-01

    In this study, we investigated the sensing characteristics of piezoelectric beams under torsional loads. We used partially patterned piezoelectric beams to sense torsion. In particular, the piezoelectric patches are located symmetrically with respect to the line of the shear center of the beam. The patterned piezoelectric beam is modeled as a slender beam, and its electrical responses are obtained by piezoelectric electromechanical equations. To validate the modeling framework, experiments are performed using a setup that forces pure torsional deformation. Three different geometric configurations of the patterned piezoelectric layer are used for the experiments. The frequency and amplitude of the forced torsional load are systematically varied in order to study the behavior of the piezoelectric sensor. Experimental results demonstrate that two voltage outputs of the piezoelectric beam are approximately out of phase with identical amplitude. Moreover, the length of the piezoelectric layers has a significant influence on the sensing properties. Our theoretical predictions using the model support the experimental findings.

  15. Effects of a new piezoelectric device on periosteal microcirculation after subperiosteal preparation.

    PubMed

    Stoetzer, Marcus; Felgenträger, Dörthe; Kampmann, Andreas; Schumann, Paul; Rücker, Martin; Gellrich, Nils-Claudius; von See, Constantin

    2014-07-01

    Subperiosteal preparation using a periosteal elevator leads to disturbances of local periosteal microcirculation. Soft-tissue damage can usually be considerably reduced using piezoelectric technology. For this reason, we investigated the effects of a novel piezoelectric device on local periosteal microcirculation and compared this approach with the conventional preparation of the periosteum using a periosteal elevator. A total of 20 Lewis rats were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subperiosteal preparation was performed using either a piezoelectric device or a periosteal elevator. Intravital microscopy was performed immediately after the procedure as well as three and eight days postoperatively. Statistical analysis of microcirculatory parameters was performed offline using analysis of variance (ANOVA) on ranks (p<0.05). At all time points investigated, intravital microscopy demonstrated significantly higher levels of periosteal perfusion in the group of rats that underwent piezosurgery than in the group of rats that underwent treatment with a periosteal elevator. The use of a piezoelectric device for subperiosteal preparation is associated with better periosteal microcirculation than the use of a conventional periosteal elevator. As a result, piezoelectric devices can be expected to have a positive effect on bone metabolism. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. A Piezoelectric Shear Stress Sensor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kim, Taeyang; Saini, Aditya; Kim, Jinwook; Gopalarathnam, Ashok; Zhu, Yong; Palmieri, Frank L.; Wohl, Christopher J.; Jiang, Xiaoning

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, a piezoelectric sensor with a floating element was developed for shear stress measurement. The piezoelectric sensor was designed to detect the pure shear stress suppressing effects of normal stress generated from the vortex lift-up by applying opposite poling vectors to the: piezoelectric elements. The sensor was first calibrated in the lab by applying shear forces and it showed high sensitivity to shear stress (=91.3 +/- 2.1 pC/Pa) due to the high piezoelectric coefficients of PMN-33%PT (d31=-1330 pC/N). The sensor also showed almost no sensitivity to normal stress (less than 1.2 pC/Pa) because of the electromechanical symmetry of the device. The usable frequency range of the sensor is 0-800 Hz. Keywords: Piezoelectric sensor, shear stress, floating element, electromechanical symmetry

  17. Large Electrocaloric Effect in Lead-Free (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O₃ Ceramics Prepared via Citrate Route.

    PubMed

    Shi, Jing; Zhu, Rongfeng; Liu, Xing; Fang, Bijun; Yuan, Ningyi; Ding, Jianning; Luo, Haosu

    2017-09-18

    The 1 wt % Li-doped (Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 )(Zr 0.1 Ti 0.9 )O₃ (BCZT-Li) ceramics prepared by the citrate method exhibit improved phase purity, densification and electrical properties, which provide prospective possibility to develop high-performance electrocaloric materials. The electrocaloric effect was evaluated by phenomenological method, and the BCZT-Li ceramics present large electrocaloric temperature change ∆ T , especially large electrocaloric responsibility ξ = ∆ T max /∆ E max , which can be comparable to the largest values reported in the lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. The excellent electrocaloric effect is considered as correlating with the coexistence of polymorphic ferroelectric phases, which are detected by the Raman spectroscopy. The large ξ value accompanied by decreased Curie temperature (around 73 °C) of the BCZT-Li ceramics prepared by the citrate method presents potential applications as the next-generation solid-state cooling devices.

  18. A piezoelectric shock-loading response simulator for piezoelectric-based device developers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rastegar, J.; Feng, Z.

    2017-04-01

    Pulsed loading of piezoelectric transducers occurs in many applications, such as those in munitions firing, or when a mechanical system is subjected to impact type loading. In this paper, an electronic simulator that can be programmed to generate electrical charges that a piezoelectric transducer generates as it is subjected to various shock loading profiles is presented. The piezoelectric output simulator can provide close to realistic outputs so that the circuit designer can use it to test the developed system under close to realistic conditions without the need for the costly and time consuming process of performing actual tests. The design of the electronic simulator and results of its testing are presented.

  19. Dentistry as a free market in the context of leading policymaking.

    PubMed

    Franzon, Bengt; Englander, Magnus; Axtelius, Björn; Klinge, Björn

    2018-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to disclose the psychological meaning structure of dentistry as a free market within the context of leading Swedish policymaking. Following the criteria for the descriptive phenomenological psychological method data was collected from leading policy makers about the experiential aspects of dentistry as a free market within the context of a welfare state. The analysis showed that dentistry as a free market was experienced as a complex business relationship between buyers and sellers that transcended the traditional dentist and patient roles. The lived experience of the proposed business transaction was based on two inherently conflicting views: the belief in the individual's ability to make a free choice versus the understanding that all individuals in a society do not have the ability or the means necessary to make a free choice. Dentistry as a free market within a welfare state, such as Sweden, can thus be seen as a persistent attempt to hold on to a compromise between two very distinctive political ideologies.

  20. Elastic Properties and Enhanced Piezoelectric Response at Morphotropic Phase Boundaries

    PubMed Central

    Cordero, Francesco

    2015-01-01

    The search for improved piezoelectric materials is based on the morphotropic phase boundaries (MPB) between ferroelectric phases with different crystal symmetry and available directions for the spontaneous polarization. Such regions of the composition x−T phase diagrams provide the conditions for minimal anisotropy with respect to the direction of the polarization, so that the polarization can easily rotate maintaining a substantial magnitude, while the near verticality of the TMPBx boundary extends the temperature range of the resulting enhanced piezoelectricity. Another consequence of the quasi-isotropy of the free energy is a reduction of the domain walls energies, with consequent formation of domain structures down to nanoscale. Disentangling the extrinsic and intrinsic contributions to the piezoelectricity in such conditions requires a high level of sophistication from the techniques and analyses for studying the structural, ferroelectric and dielectric properties. The elastic characterization is extremely useful in clarifying the phenomenology and mechanisms related to ferroelectric MPBs. The relationship between dielectric, elastic and piezoelectric responses is introduced in terms of relaxation of defects with electric dipole and elastic quadrupole, and extended to the response near phase transitions in the framework of the Landau theory. An account is provided of the anelastic experiments, from torsional pendulum to Brillouin scattering, that provided new important information on ferroelectric MPBs, including PZT, PMN-PT, NBT-BT, BCTZ, and KNN-based systems. PMID:28793707

  1. Development of enhanced piezoelectric energy harvester induced by human motion.

    PubMed

    Minami, Y; Nakamachi, E

    2012-01-01

    In this study, a high frequency piezoelectric energy harvester converted from the human low vibrated motion energy was newly developed. This hybrid energy harvester consists of the unimorph piezoelectric cantilever and a couple of permanent magnets. One magnet was attached at the end of cantilever, and the counterpart magnet was set at the end of the pendulum. The mechanical energy provided through the human walking motion, which is a typical ubiquitous presence of vibration, is converted to the electric energy via the piezoelectric cantilever vibration system. At first, we studied the energy convert mechanism and the performance of our energy harvester, where the resonance free vibration of unimorph cantilever with one permanent magnet under a rather high frequency was induced by the artificial low frequency vibration. The counterpart magnet attached on the pendulum. Next, we equipped the counterpart permanent magnet pendulum, which was fluctuated under a very low frequency by the human walking, and the piezoelectric cantilever, which had the permanent magnet at the end. The low-to-high frequency convert "hybrid system" can be characterized as an enhanced energy harvest one. We examined and obtained maximum values of voltage and power in this system, as 1.2V and 1.2 µW. Those results show the possibility to apply for the energy harvester in the portable and implantable Bio-MEMS devices.

  2. Evaluation of Lead Release in a Simulated Lead-Free Premise Plumbing System Using a Sequential Sampling Approach.

    PubMed

    Ng, Ding-Quan; Lin, Yi-Pin

    2016-02-27

    In this pilot study, a modified sampling protocol was evaluated for the detection of lead contamination and locating the source of lead release in a simulated premise plumbing system with one-, three- and seven-day stagnation for a total period of 475 days. Copper pipes, stainless steel taps and brass fittings were used to assemble the "lead-free" system. Sequential sampling using 100 mL was used to detect lead contamination while that using 50 mL was used to locate the lead source. Elevated lead levels, far exceeding the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline value of 10 µg · L(-1), persisted for as long as five months in the system. "Lead-free" brass fittings were identified as the source of lead contamination. Physical disturbances, such as renovation works, could cause short-term spikes in lead release. Orthophosphate was able to suppress total lead levels below 10 µg · L(-1), but caused "blue water" problems. When orthophosphate addition was ceased, total lead levels began to spike within one week, implying that a continuous supply of orthophosphate was required to control total lead levels. Occasional total lead spikes were observed in one-day stagnation samples throughout the course of the experiments.

  3. Enhanced ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties in La-modified PZT ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kour, P.; Pradhan, S. K.; Kumar, Pawan; Sinha, S. K.; Kar, Manoranjan

    2016-06-01

    The effect of lanthanum (La) doping on ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sample has been investigated. Pb1- x La x Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 ceramics with x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.10 were prepared by the sol-gel technique. Raman and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy have been employed to understand the structural modification due to ionic size mismatch. Raman spectra show the existence of both rhombohedral and tetragonal crystal symmetries. It also shows the dielectric relaxation with increase in La concentration in the sample. The increase in lattice strain due to La doping increases the remnant polarization and coercive field. The linear piezoelectric coefficient increases with the increase in La concentration. It reveals that La-substituted PZT is a better candidate for piezoelectric sensor applications as compared to that of PZT.

  4. Free Energy Calculations of Crystalline Hard Sphere Complexes Using Density Functional Theory

    DOE PAGES

    Gunawardana, K. G.S.H.; Song, Xueyu

    2014-12-22

    Recently developed fundamental measure density functional theory (FMT) is used to study binary hard sphere (HS) complexes in crystalline phases. By comparing the excess free energy, pressure and phase diagram, we show that the fundamental measure functional yields good agreements to the available simulation results of AB, AB 2 and AB 13 crystals. Additionally, we use this functional to study the HS models of five binary crystals, Cu 5Zr(C15 b), Cu 51Zr 14(β), Cu 10Zr 7(φ), CuZr(B2) and CuZr 2 (C11 b), which are observed in the Cu-Zr system. The FMT functional gives well behaved minimum for most of themore » hard sphere crystal complexes in the two dimensional Gaussian space, namely a crystalline phase. However, the current version of FMT functional (white Bear) fails to give a stable minimum for the structure Cu 10Zr 7(φ). We argue that the observed solid phases for the HS models of the Cu-Zr system are true thermodynamic stable phases and can be used as a reference system in perturbation calculations.« less

  5. Piezoelectric micromotor using a metal-ceramic composite structure.

    PubMed

    Koc, B; Bouchilloux, P; Uchino, K

    2000-01-01

    This paper presents a new piezoelectric micromotor design, in which a uniformly electroded piezoelectric ring bonded to a metal ring is used as the stator. Four inward arms at the inner circumference of the metal ring transfer radial displacements into tangential displacements. The rotor ends in a truncated cone shape and touches the tips of the arms. A rotation takes place by exciting coupled modes of the stator element, such as a radial mode and a second bending mode of the arms. The behavior of the free stator was analyzed using the ATILA finite element software. Torque vs. speed relationship was measured from the transient speed change with a motor load. A starting torque of 17 microNm was obtained at 20 Vrms. The main features of this motor are low cost and easy assembly because of a simple structure and small number of components.

  6. Prestressed curved actuators: characterization and modeling of their piezoelectric behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mossi, Karla M.; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Smith, Ralph C.; Ball, Brian

    2003-08-01

    Pre-stressed curved actuators consist of a piezoelectric ceramic (lead zirconate titanate or PZT) sandwiched between various substrates and other top layers. In one configuration, the substrates are stainless steel with a top layer made with aluminum (THUNDER). In another configuration, the substrates and top are based on fiberglass and carbon composite layers (Lipca-C2). Due to their enhanced strain capabilities, these pre-stressed piezoelectric devices are of interest in a variety of aerospace applications. Their performance as a function of electric field, temperature and frequency is needed in order to optimize their operation. During the processing steps, a mismatch between the properties of the various layers leads to pre-stressing of the PZT layer. These internal stresses, combined with restricted lateral motion, are shown to enhance the axial displacement. The goal is to gain an understanding of the resulting piezoelectric behavior over a range of voltages, and frequencies. A nonlinear model, which quantifies the displacements generated in THUNDER actuators in response to applied voltages for a variety of boundary conditions, is developed. The model utilizes a hysteretic electric field-polarization relationship and predicts displacements based on the geometry and physical characteristics of the actuator components. The accuracy of the model and associated numerical method is demonstrated through comparison with experimental data.

  7. Piezoelectric MEMS: Ferroelectric thin films for MEMS applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanno, Isaku

    2018-04-01

    In recent years, piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have attracted attention as next-generation functional microdevices. Typical applications of piezoelectric MEMS are micropumps for inkjet heads or micro-gyrosensors, which are composed of piezoelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films and have already been commercialized. In addition, piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters (PVEHs), which are regarded as one of the key devices for Internet of Things (IoT)-related technologies, are promising future applications of piezoelectric MEMS. Significant features of piezoelectric MEMS are their simple structure and high energy conversion efficiency between mechanical and electrical domains even on the microscale. The device performance strongly depends on the function of the piezoelectric thin films, especially on their transverse piezoelectric properties, indicating that the deposition of high-quality piezoelectric thin films is a crucial technology for piezoelectric MEMS. On the other hand, although the difficulty in measuring the precise piezoelectric coefficients of thin films is a serious obstacle in the research and development of piezoelectric thin films, a simple unimorph cantilever measurement method has been proposed to obtain precise values of the direct or converse transverse piezoelectric coefficient of thin films, and recently this method has become to be the standardized testing method. In this article, I will introduce fundamental technologies of piezoelectric thin films and related microdevices, especially focusing on the deposition of PZT thin films and evaluation methods for their transverse piezoelectric properties.

  8. Hard X-ray nanofocusing using adaptive focusing optics based on piezoelectric deformable mirrors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Goto, Takumi; Nakamori, Hiroki; Sano, Yasuhisa

    2015-04-15

    An adaptive Kirkpatrick–Baez mirror focusing optics based on piezoelectric deformable mirrors was constructed at SPring-8 and its focusing performance characteristics were demonstrated. By adjusting the voltages applied to the deformable mirrors, the shape errors (compared to a target elliptical shape) were finely corrected on the basis of the mirror shape determined using the pencil-beam method, which is a type of at-wavelength figure metrology in the X-ray region. The mirror shapes were controlled with a peak-to-valley height accuracy of 2.5 nm. A focused beam with an intensity profile having a full width at half maximum of 110 × 65 nm (Vmore » × H) was achieved at an X-ray energy of 10 keV.« less

  9. Towards Lead-Free Piezoceramics: Facing a Synthesis Challenge

    PubMed Central

    Villafuerte-Castrejón, María Elena; Morán, Emilio; Reyes-Montero, Armando; Vivar-Ocampo, Rodrigo; Peña-Jiménez, Jesús-Alejandro; Rea-López, Salvador-Oliver; Pardo, Lorena

    2016-01-01

    The search for electroceramic materials with enhanced ferro-pyro-piezoelectric properties and revealing the perovskite type structure has been the objective of a significant number of manuscripts reported in the literature. This has been usually carried out by proposing the synthesis and processing of new compounds and solid solution series. In this work, several methods to obtain ferro-pyro-piezoelectric families of materials featuring the well-known ABO3 perovskite structure (or related) such as BaTiO3, Ba1–xCaxTi1–yZryO3, (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3, (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 and their solid solutions with different cations either in the A or B positions, are presented. For this kind of materials, the challenge for obtaining a single phase compound with a specific grain size and morphology and, most importantly, with the adequate stoichiometry, will also be discussed. The results reviewed herein will be discussed in terms of the tendency of working with softer conditions, i.e., lower temperature and shorter reaction times, also referred to as soft-chemistry. PMID:28787822

  10. Miniature Piezoelectric Macro-Mass Balance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Trebi-Ollennu, Ashitey; Bonitz, Robert G.; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

    2010-01-01

    Mass balances usually use a strain gauge that requires an impedance measurement and is susceptible to noise and thermal drift. A piezoelectric balance can be used to measure mass directly by monitoring the voltage developed across the piezoelectric balance, which is linear with weight or it can be used in resonance to produce a frequency change proportional to the mass change (see figure). The piezoelectric actuator/balance is swept in frequency through its fundamental resonance. If a small mass is added to the balance, the resonance frequency shifts down in proportion to the mass. By monitoring the frequency shift, the mass can be determined. This design allows for two independent measurements of mass. Additionally, more than one sample can be verified because this invention allows for each sample to be transported away from the measuring device upon completion of the measurement, if required. A piezoelectric actuator, or many piezoelectric actuators, was placed between the collection plate of the sampling system and the support structure. As the sample mass is added to the plate, the piezoelectrics are stressed, causing them to produce a voltage that is proportional to the mass and acceleration. In addition, a change in mass delta m produces a change in the resonance frequency with delta f proportional to delta m. In a microgravity environment, the spacecraft could be accelerated to produce a force on the piezoelectric actuator that would produce a voltage proportional to the mass and acceleration. Alternatively, the acceleration could be used to force the mass on the plate, and the inertial effects of the mass on the plate would produce a shift in the resonance frequency with the change in frequency related to the mass change. Three prototypes of the mass balance mechanism were developed. These macro-mass balances each consist of a solid base and an APA 60 Cedrat flextensional piezoelectric actuator supporting a measuring plate. A similar structure with 3 APA

  11. Multi-resonant piezoelectric shunting induced by digital controllers for subwavelength elastic wave attenuation in smart metamaterial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Gang; Cheng, Jianqing; Chen, Jingwei; He, Yunze

    2017-02-01

    Instead of analog electronic circuits and components, digital controllers that are capable of active multi-resonant piezoelectric shunting are applied to elastic metamaterials integrated with piezoelectric patches. Thanks to recently introduced digital control techniques, shunting strategies are possible now with transfer functions that can hardly be realized with analog circuits. As an example, the ‘pole-zero’ method is developed to design single- or multi-resonant bandgaps by adjusting poles and zeros in the transfer function of piezoelectric shunting directly. Large simultaneous attenuations in up to three frequency bands at deep subwavelength scale (with normalized frequency as low as 0.077) are achieved. The underlying physical mechanism is attributable to the negative group velocity of the flexural wave within bandgaps. As digital controllers can be readily adapted via wireless broadcasting, the bandgaps can be tuned easily unlike the electric components in analog shunting circuits, which must be tuned one by one manually. The theoretical results are verified experimentally with the measured vibration transmission properties, where large insulations of up to 20 dB in low-frequency ranges are observed.

  12. Oxygen stoichiometry, phase stability, and thermodynamic behavior of the lead-doped and lead-free Bi-2212 systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tetenbaum, M.; Hash, M.; Tani, B. S.; Maroni, V. A.

    1996-02-01

    Electromotive-force (EMF) measurements of oxygen fugacities as a function of stoichiometry have been made on lead-doped and lead-free Bi 2- zPb zSr 2Ca 1Cu 2O x superconducting ceramics in the temperature range ≈ 700-815°C by means of an oxygen-titration techique that employs an yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte. Equations for the variation of oxygen partial pressure with composition and temperature have been derived from our EMF measurements. Thermodynamic assessments of the partial molar quantities Δ overlineH(O 2) and Δ overlineS(O 2) for lead-doped Bi-2212 and lead-free Bi-2212 indicate that the solid-state decomposition of these bismuth cuprates at low oxygen partial pressure can be represented by the diphasic CuOCu 2O system.

  13. Joint Lead-Free Solder Test Program for High Reliability Military and Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Christina

    2004-01-01

    Current and future space and defense systems face potential risks from the continued use of tin-lead solder, including: compliance with current environmental regulations, concerns about potential environmental legislation banning lead-containing products, reduced mission readiness, and component obsolescence with lead surface finishes. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has lowered the Toxic Chemical Release reporting threshold for lead to 100 pounds. Overseas, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Dicctives in Europe and similar mandates in Japan have instilled concern that a legislative body will prohibit the use of lead in aerospace/military electronics soldering. Any potential banning of lead compounds could reduce the supplier base and adversely affect the readiness of missions led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Before considering lead-free electronics for system upgrades or future designs, however, it is important for the DoD and NASA to know whether lead-free solders can meet their systems' requirements. No single lead-free solder is likely to qualify for all defense and space applications. Therefore, it is important to validate alternative solders for discrete applications. As a result of the need for comprehensive test data on the reliability of lead-free solders, a partnership was formed between the DoD, NASA, and several original equipment manufactures (OEMs) to conduct solder-joint reliability (laboratory) testing of three lead-free solder alloys on newly manufactured and reworked circuit cards to generate performance data for high-reliability (IPC Class 3) applications.

  14. Elastic properties of spherically anisotropic piezoelectric composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, En-Bo; Gu, Guo-Qing; Poon, Ying-Ming

    2010-09-01

    Effective elastic properties of spherically anisotropic piezoelectric composites, whose spherically anisotropic piezoelectric inclusions are embedded in an infinite non-piezoelectric matrix, are theoretically investigated. Analytical solutions for the elastic displacements and the electric potentials under a uniform external strain are derived exactly. Taking into account of the coupling effects of elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity, the formula is derived for estimating the effective elastic properties based on the average field theory in the dilute limit. An elastic response mechanism is revealed, in which the effective elastic properties increase as inclusion piezoelectric properties increase and inclusion dielectric properties decrease. Moreover, a piezoelectric response mechanism, of which the effective piezoelectric response vanishes due to the symmetry of spherically anisotropic composite, is also disclosed.

  15. High Temperature Piezoelectric Drill

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bao, Xiaoqi; Scott, James; Boudreau, Kate; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, Mircea; Shrout, Tom; Zhang, Shujun

    2009-01-01

    The current NASA Decadal mission planning effort has identified Venus as a significant scientific target for a surface in-situ sampling/analyzing mission. The Venus environment represents several extremes including high temperature (460 deg C), high pressure (9 MPa), and potentially corrosive (condensed sulfuric acid droplets that adhere to surfaces during entry) environments. This technology challenge requires new rock sampling tools for these extreme conditions. Piezoelectric materials can potentially operate over a wide temperature range. Single crystals, like LiNbO3, have a Curie temperature that is higher than 1000 deg C and the piezoelectric ceramics Bismuth Titanate higher than 600 deg C. A study of the feasibility of producing piezoelectric drills that can operate in the temperature range up to 500 deg C was conducted. The study includes the high temperature properties investigations of engineering materials and piezoelectric ceramics with different formulas and doping. The drilling performances of a prototype Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corer (USDC) using high temperate piezoelectric ceramics and single crystal were tested at temperature up to 500 deg C. The detailed results of our study and a discussion of the future work on performance improvements are presented in this paper.

  16. Electromechanical modelling for piezoelectric flextensional actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jinghang; O'Connor, William J.; Ahearne, Eamonn; Byrne, Gerald

    2014-02-01

    The piezoelectric flextensional actuator investigated in this paper comprises three pre-stressed piezoceramic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) stacks and an external, flexure-hinged, mechanical amplifier configuration. An electromechanical model is used to relate the electrical and mechanical domains, comprising the PZT stacks and the flexure mechanism, with the dynamic characteristics of the latter represented by a multiple degree-of-freedom dynamic model. The Maxwell resistive capacitive model is used to describe the nonlinear relationship between charge and voltage within the PZT stacks. The actuator model parameters and the electromechanical couplings of the PZT stacks, which describe the energy transfer between the electrical and mechanical domains, are experimentally identified without disassembling the embedded piezoceramic stacks. To verify the electromechanical model, displacement and frequency experiments are performed. There was good agreement between modelled and experimental results, with less than 1.5% displacement error. This work outlines a general process by which other pre-stressed piezoelectric flextensional actuators can be characterized, modelled and identified in a non-destructive way.

  17. Synthesis and characterization of lead-free tin silver nanosolders and their application to halogen free nanosolder pastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wernicki, Evan

    Solder paste is a key material used in attaching electronic components to printed circuit boards (PCBs). Commonly used lead-based solders, such as eutectic Sn/37Pb, are currently being replaced by lead-free alloy materials due to health and environmental concerns associated with lead. Many solder pastes, both lead-containing and lead-free, contain halogens which act as activators to remove surface oxide and enhance surface wetting, posing further environmental concern from the halogen species. Difficulties in obtaining reliable joints can occur since lead-free solder material candidates have higher melting temperatures (30-50 °C) than that of lead-based solders. Differences in material properties between the numerous materials used in assembly and packaging processes can lead to component damage during manufacturing. Furthermore, designs that include more electrical interconnects in smaller areas give rise for the need for new materials to allow this trend to continue. A surfactant-assisted chemical reduction method was used to synthesize Sn/Ag alloy nanoparticles with a target composition range of 3.5-5 wt% Ag that served as the lead-free solder material within a nanosolder paste. Structure and size characterization via SEM and TEM showed Sn-Ag nanosolders size average approximately 19 nm. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of the nanosolder samples containing 4.5 wt% Ag showed an endothermic peak at 222.5 °C and an onset of 219.2 °C, indicating up to 17.5 °C melting temperature depression when compared to the bulk liquidus value of 240 °C. Composition of the nanosolder material was confirmed using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and structures formed were analyzed via x-ray diffraction (XRD). Both halogen-free and halogen-containing flux materials were combined with the nanosolder material, respectively, with varying preparation parameters to form a design of experiments (DoE) for nanosolder paste preparation. Solder pastes

  18. Enhanced converse magnetoelectric effect in cylindrical piezoelectric-magnetostrictive composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Gaojian; Zhang, Ru; Zhang, Ning

    2016-10-01

    Enhanced converse magnetoelectric (ME) effect has been experimentally observed in cylindrical PZT-Terfenol-D piezoelectric-magnetostrictive bilayered composites, where the piezoelectric and magnetostrictive components are coupled through normal stresses instead of shear stresses that act in most of previous multiferroic composites. A theoretical model based on elastodynamics analysis has been proposed to describe the frequency response of converse ME effect for axial and radial modes in the bilayered cylindrical composites. The theory shows good agreement with the experimental results. The different variation tendency of resonant converse ME coefficient, as well as different variation rate of resonance frequency with bias magnetic field for axial and radial modes is interpreted in terms of demagnetizing effect. This work is of theoretical and technological significance for the application of converse ME effect as magnetic sensor, transducers, coil-free flux switch, etc.

  19. Composition and temperature dependence of the dielectric, piezoelectric and elastic properties of pure PZT ceramics.

    PubMed

    Zhuang, Z Q; Haun, M J; Jang, S J; Cross, L E

    1989-01-01

    Pure (undoped) piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic samples at compositions across the ferroelectric region of the phase diagram were prepared from sol-gel-derived fine powders. Excess lead oxide was included in the PZT powders to obtain dense (95-96% of theoretical density) ceramics with large grain size (>7 mum) and to control the lead stoichiometry. The dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic properties were measured from 4.2 to 300 K. At very low temperatures, the extrinsic domain wall and thermal defect motions freeze out. The low-temperature dielectric data can be used to determine coefficients in a phenomenological theory. The extrinsic contribution to the properties can then be separated from the single-domain properties derived from the theory.

  20. High-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators for self-powered nanosystems: quantitative standards and figures of merit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Wenzhuo

    2016-03-01

    Harvesting energies from the atmosphere cost-effectively is critical for both addressing worldwide long-term energy needs at the macro-scale, and achieving the sustainable maintenance-free operation of nanodevices at the micro-scale (Wang and Wu 2012 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51 11700-21). Piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) technology has demonstrated its great application potential in harvesting the ubiquitous and abundant mechanical energy. Despite of the progress made in this rapidly-advancing field, a fundamental understanding and common standard for consistently quantifying and evaluating the performance of the various types of piezoelectric NGs is still lacking. In their recent study Crossley and Kar-Narayan (2015 Nanotechnology 26 344001), systematically investigated dynamical properties of piezoelectric NGs by taking into account the effect of driving mechanism and load frequency on NG performance. They further defined the NGs’ figures of merit as energy harvested normalized by applied strain or stress for NGs under strain-driven or stress-driven conditions, which are commonly seen in the vibrational energy harvesting. This work provides new insight and a feasible approach for consistently evaluating piezoelectric nanomaterials and NG devices, which is important for designing and optimizing nanoscale piezoelectric energy harvesters, as well as promoting their applications in emerging areas e.g. the internet of things, wearable devices, and self-powered nanosystems.

  1. High-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators for self-powered nanosystems: quantitative standards and figures of merit.

    PubMed

    Wu, Wenzhuo

    2016-03-18

    Harvesting energies from the atmosphere cost-effectively is critical for both addressing worldwide long-term energy needs at the macro-scale, and achieving the sustainable maintenance-free operation of nanodevices at the micro-scale (Wang and Wu 2012 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51 11700-21). Piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) technology has demonstrated its great application potential in harvesting the ubiquitous and abundant mechanical energy. Despite of the progress made in this rapidly-advancing field, a fundamental understanding and common standard for consistently quantifying and evaluating the performance of the various types of piezoelectric NGs is still lacking. In their recent study Crossley and Kar-Narayan (2015 Nanotechnology 26 344001), systematically investigated dynamical properties of piezoelectric NGs by taking into account the effect of driving mechanism and load frequency on NG performance. They further defined the NGs' figures of merit as energy harvested normalized by applied strain or stress for NGs under strain-driven or stress-driven conditions, which are commonly seen in the vibrational energy harvesting. This work provides new insight and a feasible approach for consistently evaluating piezoelectric nanomaterials and NG devices, which is important for designing and optimizing nanoscale piezoelectric energy harvesters, as well as promoting their applications in emerging areas e.g. the internet of things, wearable devices, and self-powered nanosystems.

  2. High-resolution single-shot spectral monitoring of hard x-ray free-electron laser radiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Makita, M.; Karvinen, P.; Zhu, D.

    We have developed an on-line spectrometer for hard x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) radiation based on a nanostructured diamond diffraction grating and a bent crystal analyzer. Our method provides high spectral resolution, interferes negligibly with the XFEL beam, and can withstand the intense hard x-ray pulses at high repetition rates of >100 Hz. The spectrometer is capable of providing shot-to-shot spectral information for the normalization of data obtained in scientific experiments and optimization of the accelerator operation parameters. We have demonstrated these capabilities of the setup at the Linac Coherent Light Source, in self-amplified spontaneous emission mode at full energy ofmore » >1 mJ with a 120 Hz repetition rate, obtaining a resolving power of Ε/δΕ > 3 × 10 4. In conclusion, the device was also used to monitor the effects of pulse duration down to 8 fs by analysis of the spectral spike width.« less

  3. High-resolution single-shot spectral monitoring of hard x-ray free-electron laser radiation

    DOE PAGES

    Makita, M.; Karvinen, P.; Zhu, D.; ...

    2015-10-16

    We have developed an on-line spectrometer for hard x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) radiation based on a nanostructured diamond diffraction grating and a bent crystal analyzer. Our method provides high spectral resolution, interferes negligibly with the XFEL beam, and can withstand the intense hard x-ray pulses at high repetition rates of >100 Hz. The spectrometer is capable of providing shot-to-shot spectral information for the normalization of data obtained in scientific experiments and optimization of the accelerator operation parameters. We have demonstrated these capabilities of the setup at the Linac Coherent Light Source, in self-amplified spontaneous emission mode at full energy ofmore » >1 mJ with a 120 Hz repetition rate, obtaining a resolving power of Ε/δΕ > 3 × 10 4. In conclusion, the device was also used to monitor the effects of pulse duration down to 8 fs by analysis of the spectral spike width.« less

  4. AN OSCILLATOR CONFIGURATION FOR FULL REALIZATION OF HARD X-RAY FREE ELECTRON LASER*

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, K.-J.; Kolodziej, T.; Lindberg, R. R.

    2017-06-01

    An x-ray free electron laser oscillator (XFELO) is feasible by employing an X-ray cavity with Bragg mirrors such as diamond crystals. An XFELO at the 5th harmonic frequency may be implemented at the LCLS II using its 4 GeV superconducting linac, producing stable, fully coherent, high-spectral-purity hard x-rays. In addition, its output can be a coherent seed to the LCLS amplifier for stable, high-power, femto-second x-ray pulses. We summarize the recent progress in various R&D efforts addressing critical issues for realizing an XFELO at LCLS II.

  5. Piezo-generated charge mapping revealed through direct piezoelectric force microscopy.

    PubMed

    Gomez, A; Gich, M; Carretero-Genevrier, A; Puig, T; Obradors, X

    2017-10-24

    While piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials play a key role in many everyday applications, there are still a number of open questions related to their physics. To enhance our understanding of piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics, nanoscale characterization is essential. Here, we develop an atomic force microscopy based mode that obtains a direct quantitative analysis of the piezoelectric coefficient d 33 . We report nanoscale images of piezogenerated charge in a thick single crystal of periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), a bismuth ferrite (BiFO 3 ) thin film, and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) by applying a force and recording the current produced by these materials. The quantification of d 33 coefficients for PPLN (14 ± 3 pC per N) and BFO (43 ± 6 pC per N) is in agreement with the values reported in the literature. Even stronger evidence of the reliability of the method is provided by an equally accurate measurement of the significantly larger d 33 of PZT.

  6. Dentistry as a free market in the context of leading policymaking

    PubMed Central

    Franzon, Bengt; Englander, Magnus; Axtelius, Björn

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to disclose the psychological meaning structure of dentistry as a free market within the context of leading Swedish policymaking. Following the criteria for the descriptive phenomenological psychological method data was collected from leading policy makers about the experiential aspects of dentistry as a free market within the context of a welfare state. The analysis showed that dentistry as a free market was experienced as a complex business relationship between buyers and sellers that transcended the traditional dentist and patient roles. The lived experience of the proposed business transaction was based on two inherently conflicting views: the belief in the individual’s ability to make a free choice versus the understanding that all individuals in a society do not have the ability or the means necessary to make a free choice. Dentistry as a free market within a welfare state, such as Sweden, can thus be seen as a persistent attempt to hold on to a compromise between two very distinctive political ideologies. PMID:29912654

  7. Large Electrocaloric Effect in Lead-Free (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 Ceramics Prepared via Citrate Route

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Jing; Zhu, Rongfeng; Liu, Xing; Yuan, Ningyi; Ding, Jianning; Luo, Haosu

    2017-01-01

    The 1 wt % Li-doped (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 (BCZT-Li) ceramics prepared by the citrate method exhibit improved phase purity, densification and electrical properties, which provide prospective possibility to develop high-performance electrocaloric materials. The electrocaloric effect was evaluated by phenomenological method, and the BCZT-Li ceramics present large electrocaloric temperature change ∆T, especially large electrocaloric responsibility ξ = ∆Tmax/∆Emax, which can be comparable to the largest values reported in the lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. The excellent electrocaloric effect is considered as correlating with the coexistence of polymorphic ferroelectric phases, which are detected by the Raman spectroscopy. The large ξ value accompanied by decreased Curie temperature (around 73 °C) of the BCZT-Li ceramics prepared by the citrate method presents potential applications as the next-generation solid-state cooling devices. PMID:28927004

  8. Flexible tensile strain sensor based on lead-free 0.5Ba (Ti0.8Zr0.2) O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3) TiO3 piezoelectric nanofibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xing, Lindong; Zhu, Ruijian; Wang, Zengmei; Wang, Fengxia; Kimura, Hideo

    2017-09-01

    Here, we report our study results of a flexible piezoelectric tensile strain sensor which is fabricated by synthesizing 0.5Ba (Zr0.2Ti0.8) O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3) TiO3 (0.5BZT-0.5BCT) nanofibers via an electrospinning process. Our nanofibers show an ultrahigh d33 of 275 pm V-1. 0.5BZT-0.5BCT nanofibers and MW-CNTs are dispersed in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to fabricate a highly stretchable and flexible tensile sensor, and the multiple roles of the MW-CNTs are probed and demonstrated. This nanofiber-based piezoelectric tensile strain sensor shows great resolution and sensitivity under external mechanical deformation. It is suitable for applications in complex environments.

  9. Frequency Rectification Applied to Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting and Improving Available Power of Piezoelectric Motors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuroda, Kazuaki; LCGT Collaboration

    Piezoelectric materials are just now, within the last decade, coming into their own as a commercial material. Capable of converting energy from the mechanical domain to the electrical domain; piezos are ideal sensors, vibration dampers, energy harvesters, and actuators. Frequency rectification, or the conversion of small, high frequency piezoelectric vibrations into useful low frequency actuation, is required to obtain widespread industrial use of piezoelectric devices. This work examines three manifestations of piezoelectric frequency rectification: energy harvesting, a hydraulic motor, and friction based commercial-off-the-shelf motors. An energy harvesting device is developed, manufactured, and tested in this work, resulting in the development of a high Energy Density (J/m 3), high Power Density (W/m3) energy harvester. The device is shown to have an Energy Density nearly twice that of a similar conventional energy harvesting device. The result of this work is the development of an energy harvesting system that generates more energy in a given volume of piezoelectric material, opening the possibility of miniaturization of energy harvesting devices. Also presented is an effort to integrate a high frequency, high flow rate micromachined valve array into a PiezoHydraulic Pump (PHP), enabling resonant operation of the PHP. Currently, the device is limited by the resonant frequency of the proprietary passive check valves. The PHP is fully characterized, and the microvalve array is tested to determine its resonant frequency in a fluid medium. The valve testing resulted in a resonant frequency of 6.9 kHz, slightly lower than the target operating frequency of 10 kHz. Finally, the results of an examination of frequency rectification as applied to COTS piezoelectric motors are presented. Currently, motors are almost universally characterized based upon their available mechanical power. A better comparison is one based upon the actual Energy Density of the piezoelectric

  10. Electromechanical properties of engineered lead free potassium sodium niobate based materials =

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rafiq, Muhammad Asif

    K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN), is the most promising lead free material for substituting lead zirconate titanate (PZT) which is still the market leader used for sensors and actuators. To make KNN a real competitor, it is necessary to understand and to improve its properties. This goal is pursued in the present work via different approaches aiming to study KNN intrinsic properties and then to identify appropriate strategies like doping and texturing for designing better KNN materials for an intended application. Hence, polycrystalline KNN ceramics (undoped, non-stoichiometric; NST and doped), high-quality KNN single crystals and textured KNN based ceramics were successfully synthesized and characterized in this work. Polycrystalline undoped, non-stoichiometric (NST) and Mn doped KNN ceramics were prepared by conventional ceramic processing. Structure, microstructure and electrical properties were measured. It was observed that the window for mono-phasic compositions was very narrow for both NST ceramics and Mn doped ceramics. For NST ceramics the variation of A/B ratio influenced the polarization (P-E) hysteresis loop and better piezoelectric and dielectric responses could be found for small stoichiometry deviations (A/B = 0.97). Regarding Mn doping, as compared to undoped KNN which showed leaky polarization (P-E) hysteresis loops, B-site Mn doped ceramics showed a well saturated, less-leaky hysteresis loop and a significant properties improvement. Impedance spectroscopy was used to assess the role of Mn and a relation between charge transport - defects and ferroelectric response in K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) and Mn doped KNN ceramics could be established. At room temperature the conduction in KNN which is associated with holes transport is suppressed by Mn doping. Hence Mn addition increases the resistivity of the ceramic, which proved to be very helpful for improving the saturation of the P-E loop. At high temperatures the conduction is dominated by the motion of ionized oxygen

  11. Piezoelectric extraction of ECG signal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, Mahmoud Al

    2016-11-01

    The monitoring and early detection of abnormalities or variations in the cardiac cycle functionality are very critical practices and have significant impact on the prevention of heart diseases and their associated complications. Currently, in the field of biomedical engineering, there is a growing need for devices capable of measuring and monitoring a wide range of cardiac cycle parameters continuously, effectively and on a real-time basis using easily accessible and reusable probes. In this paper, the revolutionary generation and extraction of the corresponding ECG signal using a piezoelectric transducer as alternative for the ECG will be discussed. The piezoelectric transducer pick up the vibrations from the heart beats and convert them into electrical output signals. To this end, piezoelectric and signal processing techniques were employed to extract the ECG corresponding signal from the piezoelectric output voltage signal. The measured electrode based and the extracted piezoelectric based ECG traces are well corroborated. Their peaks amplitudes and locations are well aligned with each other.

  12. Wafer-scale growth of highly textured piezoelectric thin films by pulsed laser deposition for micro-scale sensors and actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, M. D.; Tiggelaar, R.; Aukes, T.; Rijnders, G.; Roelof, G.

    2017-11-01

    Piezoelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) thin films were deposited on 4-inch (111)Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(001) wafers using large-area pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This study was focused on the homogeneity in film thickness, microstructure, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT thin films. The results indicated that the highly textured (001)-oriented PZT thin films with wafer-scale thickness homogeneity (990 nm ± 0.8%) were obtained. The films were fabricated into piezoelectric cantilevers through a MEMS microfabrication process. The measured longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d 33f = 210 pm/V ± 1.6%) and piezoelectric transverse coefficient (e 31f = -18.8 C/m2 ± 2.8%) were high and homogeneity across wafers. The high piezoelectric properties on Si wafers will extend industrial application of PZT thin films and further development of piezoMEMS.

  13. High Temperature, High Power Piezoelectric Composite Transducers

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyeong Jae; Zhang, Shujun; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, StewarT.

    2014-01-01

    Piezoelectric composites are a class of functional materials consisting of piezoelectric active materials and non-piezoelectric passive polymers, mechanically attached together to form different connectivities. These composites have several advantages compared to conventional piezoelectric ceramics and polymers, including improved electromechanical properties, mechanical flexibility and the ability to tailor properties by using several different connectivity patterns. These advantages have led to the improvement of overall transducer performance, such as transducer sensitivity and bandwidth, resulting in rapid implementation of piezoelectric composites in medical imaging ultrasounds and other acoustic transducers. Recently, new piezoelectric composite transducers have been developed with optimized composite components that have improved thermal stability and mechanical quality factors, making them promising candidates for high temperature, high power transducer applications, such as therapeutic ultrasound, high power ultrasonic wirebonding, high temperature non-destructive testing, and downhole energy harvesting. This paper will present recent developments of piezoelectric composite technology for high temperature and high power applications. The concerns and limitations of using piezoelectric composites will also be discussed, and the expected future research directions will be outlined. PMID:25111242

  14. Surface topography characterization of brass alloys: lead brass (CuZn39Pb3) and lead free brass (CuZn21Si3P)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reddy, Vijeth V.; Vedantha Krishna, Amogh; Schultheiss, Fredrik; Rosén, B.-G.

    2017-06-01

    Manufactured surfaces usually consist of topographical features which include both those put forth by the manufacturing process, and micro-features caused by disturbances during this process. Surface characterization basically involves study of these features which influence the functionality of the surface. This article focuses on characterization of the surface topography of machined lead brass and lead free brass. The adverse effect of lead on human health and the environment has led the manufacturing sector to focus on sustainable manufacturing of lead free brass, as well as how to maintain control of the surface integrity when substituting the lead content in the brass with silicon. The investigation includes defined areal surface parameters measured on the turned samples of lead- and lead free brass using an optical coherence scanning interferometer, CSI. This paper deals with the study of surface topography of turned samples of lead- and lead free brass. It is important to study the topographical characteristics of the brass samples which are the intermediate link between the manufacturing process variables and the functional behaviour of the surface. To numerically evaluate the sample’s surface topography and to validate the measurements for a significant study, a general statistical methodology is implemented. The results indicate higher surface roughness in turned samples of lead brass compared to lead free brass.

  15. Effect of the Sintering Temperature on the Formation of Ferroelectric Properties of a Lead Zirconate-Titanate Ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barabanova, E. V.; Topchiev, A. A.; Malyshkina, O. V.

    2018-04-01

    Effect of the sintering temperature on the formation of the microstructure, the domain structure, and the ferroelectric properties of a lead zirconate-titanate Pb(Ti x Zr1 - x )O3 piezoelectric ceramics has been studied. It is shown that the ferroelectric phase forms at a sintering temperature of 860°C. At higher sintering temperatures, the main effect on the properties is due to a unit cell deformation and free charge carriers.

  16. Touching force response of the piezoelectric Braille cell.

    PubMed

    Smithmaitrie, Pruittikorn; Kanjantoe, Jinda; Tandayya, Pichaya

    2008-11-01

    The objective of this research is to investigate dynamic responses of the piezoelectric Braille cell when it is subjected to both electrical signal and touching force. Physical behavior of the piezoelectric actuator inside the piezoelectric Braille cell is analyzed. The mathematical model of the piezoelectric Braille system is presented. Then, data of visually impaired people using a Braille Note is studied as design information and a reference input for calculation of the piezoelectric Braille response under the touching force. The results show dynamic responses of the piezoelectric Braille cell. The designed piezoelectric bimorph has a settling time of 0.15 second. The relationship between the Braille dot height and applied voltage is linear. The behavior of the piezoelectric Braille dot when it is touched during operation shows that the dot height is decreased as the force increases. The result provides understanding of the piezoelectric Braille cell behavior under both touching force and electrical excitation simultaneously. This is the important issue for the design and development of piezoelectric Braille cells in senses of controlling Braille dot displacement or force-feedback in the future.

  17. Mutation particle swarm optimization of the BP-PID controller for piezoelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Huaqing; Jiang, Minlan

    2016-01-01

    PID control is the most common used method in industrial control because its structure is simple and it is easy to implement. PID controller has good control effect, now it has been widely used. However, PID method has a few limitations. The overshoot of the PID controller is very big. The adjustment time is long. When the parameters of controlled plant are changing over time, the parameters of controller could hardly change automatically to adjust to changing environment. Thus, it can't meet the demand of control quality in the process of controlling piezoelectric ceramic. In order to effectively control the piezoelectric ceramic and improve the control accuracy, this paper replaced the learning algorithm of the BP with the mutation particle swarm optimization algorithm(MPSO) on the process of the parameters setting of BP-PID. That designed a better self-adaptive controller which is combing the BP neural network based on mutation particle swarm optimization with the conventional PID control theory. This combination is called the MPSO-BP-PID. In the mechanism of the MPSO, the mutation operation is carried out with the fitness variance and the global best fitness value as the standard. That can overcome the precocious of the PSO and strengthen its global search ability. As a result, the MPSO-BP-PID can complete controlling the controlled plant with higher speed and accuracy. Therefore, the MPSO-BP-PID is applied to the piezoelectric ceramic. It can effectively overcome the hysteresis, nonlinearity of the piezoelectric ceramic. In the experiment, compared with BP-PID and PSO-BP-PID, it proved that MPSO is effective and the MPSO-BP-PID has stronger adaptability and robustness.

  18. Growth and preparation of lead-potassium-niobate (PKN) single crystals specimens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, R. K.

    1982-12-01

    Lead-potassium-niobate, Pb2KNb5O15 (PKN) is a member of the family of tungsten-bronze materials of the type A6B10O30. It is both ferroelastic and ferroelectric and it can be considered as a pseudo-binary compound represented by 2PbNb2O6.KNbO3. Its piezoelectric and electromechanical properties make it the leading substrate material for the fabrication of temperature compensated surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) devices. However, it is very difficult to synthesize PKN as a large, crack-free and chemically homogeneous single crystal. This report deals primarily with the problems encountered in crystal growth of PKN and suggests means to circumvent them. Furthermore, it describes two new methods - top seeded and solution growth - to synthesize crack-free, stoichiometrically uniform large single crystals of the compound. Also the results of PKN characterization by means of X-ray diffraction and dielectric, optical and electrical conductivity measurements are presented and discussed here.

  19. Analysis of Sensory/Active Piezoelectric Composite Structures in Thermal Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, Ho-Jun; Saravanos, Dimitris A.

    1996-01-01

    Although there has been extensive development of analytical methods for modeling the behavior of piezoelectric structures, only a limited amount of research has been performed concerning the implications of thermal effects on both the active and sensory response of smart structures. Thermal effects become important when the piezoelectric structure has to operate in either extremely hot or cold temperature environments. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to extend the previously developed discrete layer formulation of Saravanos and Heyliger to account for the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response in modern smart composite beams. The mechanics accounts for thermal effects which may arise in the elastic and piezoelectric media at the material level through the constitutive equations. The displacements, electric potentials, and temperatures are introduced as state variables, allowing them to be modeled as variable fields through the laminate thickness. This unified representation leads to an inherent capability to model both the active compensation of thermal distortions in smart structures and the resultant sensory voltage when thermal loads are applied. The corresponding finite element formulation is developed and numerical results demonstrate the ability to model both the active and sensory modes of composite beams with heterogeneous plies with attached piezoelectric layers under thermal loadings.

  20. Analysis of lead free tin-silver-copper and tin-lead solder wetting reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anson, Scott J.

    Lead free electronics soldering is driven by a combination of health and environmental concerns, international legislation and marketing pressure by lead free electronics manufacturing competitors. Since July 1, 2006, companies that do not comply with the European Union legislation are not able to sell circuit assemblies with lead solder in the European Union. China has developed its own regulations, based on the European Union documents with a compliance date of March 1, 2007. Extensive testing by the electronics community has determined that the Sn - Ag - Cu (SAC) family of alloys is the preferred choice for lead free Surface Mount Technology (SMT) soldering. The 96.5Sn/3.0Ag/0.5Cu alloy was used in this study. Lead free soldering requires an increase in reflow peak temperatures which further aggravates component moisture sensitivity risks and thereby decreases assembly yield. Prior research has revealed an enhanced solder spreading phenomena at lower peak temperature and shorter time above liquidus with 63Sn/37Pb solder. This current research investigated solder wetting reactions in 63Sn/37Pb and 96.5Sn/3.0Ag/0.5Cu (SAC305) using materials and manufacturing systems that are industry relevant. The objective was to advance the knowledge base of metal wetting while developing a reflow assembly process that minimized the component defect rates. The components are damaged during reflow by popcorn delamination, which is the result of moisture absorption and subsequent rapid evaporation. A classical Design Of Experiments (DOE) approach was used, with wetted area as the response variable. Outside of the DOE, substrate dissolution depth, and substrate surface new phase formation (reaction product) distance from the triple line (solder wetting front) and reaction product thickness in the solder joint (under the solder) were also analyzed. The samples were analyzed for correlation of reflow peak temperature, reflow Time Above Liquidus (TAL), wetted area, reaction product

  1. Texture and anisotropy in ferroelectric lead metaniobate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iverson, Benjamin John

    Ferroelectric lead metaniobate, PbNb2O6, is a piezoelectric ceramic typically used because of its elevated Curie temperature and anisotropic properties. However, the piezoelectric constant, d33, is relatively low in randomly oriented ceramics when compared to other ferroelectrics. Crystallographic texturing is often employed to increase the piezoelectric constant because the spontaneous polarization axes of grains are better aligned. In this research, crystallographic textures induced through tape casting are distinguished from textures induced through electrical poling. Texture is described using multiple quantitative approaches utilizing X-ray and neutron time-of-flight diffraction. Tape casting lead metaniobate with an inclusion of acicular template particles induces an orthotropic texture distribution. Templated grain growth from seed particles oriented during casting results in anisotropic grain structures. The degree of preferred orientation is directly linked to the shear behavior of the tape cast slurry. Increases in template concentration, slurry viscosity, and casting velocity lead to larger textures by inducing more particle orientation in the tape casting plane. The maximum 010 texture distributions were two and a half multiples of a random distribution. Ferroelectric texture was induced by electrical poling. Electric poling increases the volume of material oriented with the spontaneous polarization direction in the material. Samples with an initial paraelectric texture exhibit a greater change in the domain volume fraction during electrical poling than randomly oriented ceramics. In tape cast samples, the resulting piezoelectric response is proportional to the 010 texture present prior to poling. This results in property anisotropy dependent on initial texture. Piezoelectric properties measured on the most textured ceramics were similar to those obtained with a commercial standard.

  2. Method of Fabricating a Piezoelectric Composite Apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkie, W. Keats (Inventor); Bryant, Robert (Inventor); Fox, Robert L. (Inventor); Hellbaum, Richard F. (Inventor); High, James W. (Inventor); Jalink, Antony, Jr. (Inventor); Little, Bruce D. (Inventor); Mirick, Paul H. (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    A method for fabricating a piezoelectric macro-fiber composite actuator comprises providing a piezoelectric material that has two sides and attaching one side upon an adhesive backing sheet. The method further comprises slicing the piezoelectric material to provide a plurality of piezoelectric fibers in juxtaposition. A conductive film is then adhesively bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material, and the adhesive backing sheet is removed. The conductive film has first and second conductive patterns formed thereon which are electrically isolated from one another and in electrical contact with the piezoelectric material. The first and second conductive patterns of the conductive film each have a plurality of electrodes to form a pattern of interdigitated electrodes. A second film is then bonded to the other side of the piezoelectric material. The second film may have a pair of conductive patterns similar to the conductive patterns of the first film.

  3. Local piezoelectric behavior in PZT-based thin films for ultrasound transducers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Griggio, Flavio

    Piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are currently used in inkjet printers and precision resonators; numerous additional applications are being investigated for sensors, low-voltage actuators, and transducers. This work was aimed at improving piezoelectric MEMS by taking two approaches: 1) identifying factors affecting the piezoelectric response of ferroelectric thin films and 2) demonstrating integration of these films into a high frequency array transducer. It was found that there are several key factors influencing the piezoelectric response of thin films for a given material composition. First, large grain size improves the piezoelectric response. This was demonstrated using chemical solution deposited lead nickel niobate -- lead zirconate titanate (0.3)Pb(Ni 0.33Nb0.67)O3 - (0.7)Pb(Zr0.45Ti 0.55O3), (PNN-PZT) ferroelectric thin films. It was shown that this composition allows greater microstructural control than does PZT. Dielectric permittivities ranging from 1350 to 1520 and a transverse piezoelectric coefficient e31,f as high as -- 9.7 C/m 2 were observed for films of about 0.25 mum in thickness. The permittivity and piezoelectric response as well as extrinsic contributions to the dielectric constant increased by 14 and 12 % respectively for samples with grain sizes ranging from 110 to 270 nm. A second factor influencing the piezoelectric response is film composition with respect to the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). The composition dependence of the dielectric and piezoelectric nonlinearities was characterized in epitaxially grown (0.3)Pb(Ni0.33Nb0.67)O3-(0.7)Pb(Zr xTi1-xO3) thin films deposited on SrTiO 3 to minimize the influence of large-angle grain boundaries. Tetragonal, MPB and rhombohedral films were prepared by changing the Zr/Ti ratio. The largest dielectric and piezoelectric nonlinearities were observed for the rhombohedral sample; this resulted from a higher domain wall mobility due to a smaller ferroelectric distortion and

  4. Five Factors Leading to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students' Success: Perspectives of a Veteran Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metz, Kelly K.

    2017-01-01

    Educators of deaf and hard of hearing students must close the gap that too often exists between a student's grade level and his or her actual achievement. Delays in developing and using English can lead naturally to delays in overall academic performance, and sometimes the gap between the student's grade level and his or her academic performance…

  5. Effects of equivalent series resistance on the noise mitigation performance of piezoelectric shunt damping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lai, Szu Cheng; Sharifzadeh Mirshekarloo, Meysam; Yao, Kui

    2017-05-01

    Piezoelectric shunt damping (PSD) utilizes an electrically-shunted piezoelectric damper attached on a panel structure to suppress the transmission of acoustic noise. The paper develops an understanding on the effects of equivalent series resistance (ESR) of the piezoelectric damper in a PSD system on noise mitigation performance, and demonstrates that an increased ESR leads to a significant rise in the noise transmissibility due to reduction in the system’s mechanical damping. It is further demonstrated with experimental results that ESR effects can be compensated in the shunt circuit to significantly improve the noise mitigation performance. A theoretical electrical equivalent model of the PSD incorporating the ESR is established for quantitative analysis of ESR effects on noise mitigation.

  6. Wireless actuation of piezoelectric coupled micromembrane using radio frequency magnetic field for biomedical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinha, Dhiraj

    2017-04-01

    We report on a novel technique of wireless actuation of a micromembrane mounted on a piezoelectric stack using radio frequency magnetic fields. The magnetic field component of the radio frequency field induces time varying voltage across the leads of the piezoelectric stack which results in vibrations of the piezoelectric stack which are eventually transferred to a micromembrane of silicon nitride mounted on top of it. Thus, wireless actuation of micromembranes is achieved which is measured using a laser-photodetector system. Wireless actuation of micromembranes has applications in controlled drug delivery with rates of the order of tens of nanolitres per second. It can also be used in controlling capsule endoscopes, in vivo sensors, and micromachines for biomedical applications.

  7. Piezoelectric wave motor

    DOEpatents

    Yerganian, Simon Scott

    2001-07-17

    A piezoelectric motor having a stator in which piezoelectric elements are contained in slots formed in the stator transverse to the desired wave motion. When an electric field is imposed on the elements, deformation of the elements imposes a force perpendicular to the sides of the slot, deforming the stator. Appropriate frequency and phase shifting of the electric field will produce a wave in the stator and motion in a rotor. In a preferred aspect, the piezoelectric elements are configured so that deformation of the elements in direction of an imposed electric field, generally referred to as the d.sub.33 direction, is utilized to produce wave motion in the stator. In a further aspect, the elements are compressed into the slots so as to minimize tensile stresses on the elements in use.

  8. Piezoelectric wave motor

    DOEpatents

    Yerganian, Simon Scott

    2003-02-11

    A piezoelectric motor having a stator in which piezoelectric elements are contained in slots formed in the stator transverse to the desired wave motion. When an electric field is imposed on the elements, deformation of the elements imposes a force perpendicular to the sides of the slot, deforming the stator. Appropriate frequency and phase-shifting of the electric field will produce a wave in the stator and motion in a rotor. In a preferred aspect, the piezoelectric elements are configured so that deformation of the elements in the direction of an imposed electric field, generally referred to as the d.sub.33 direction, is utilized to produce wave motion in the stator. In a further aspect, the elements are compressed into the slots so as to minimize tensile stresses on the elements in use.

  9. Active Piezoelectric Diaphragms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bryant, Robert G.; Effinger, Robert T., IV; Aranda, Isaiah, Jr.; Copeland, Ben M.; Covington, Ed W., III

    2002-01-01

    Several active piezoelectric diaphragms were fabricated by placing unelectroded piezoelectric disks between copper clad films patterned with Inter-Circulating Electrodes "ICE". When a voltage potential is applied to the electrodes, the result is radially distributed electric field that mechanically strains the piezo-ceramic along the Z-axis (perpendicular to the applied electric field), rather than the expected in-plane (XY-axis) direction. Unlike other out of plane piezoelectric actuators, which are benders, these Radial Field Diaphragms (RFDs) strain concentrically yet afford high displacements while maintaining a constant circumference. This paper covers the fabrication and characterization of these diaphragms as a function of poling field strength, ceramic diameter and line spacing, as well as the surface topography, the resulting strain field and displacement as a function of applied voltage ranging from DC to 10 Hz.

  10. Thermally Stable, Piezoelectric and Pyroelectric Polymeric Substrates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simpson, Joycely O. (Inventor); St.Clair, Terry L. (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    A thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate was prepared. This thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate may be used to prepare electromechanical transducers, thermomechanical transducers, accelerometers. acoustic sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, vibration sensors, impact sensors, in-situ temperature sensors, in-situ stress/strain sensors, micro actuators, switches, adjustable fresnel lenses, speakers, tactile sensors. weather sensors, micro positioners, ultrasonic devices, power generators, tunable reflectors, microphones, and hydrophones. The process for preparing these polymeric substrates includes: providing a polymeric substrate having a softening temperature greater than 1000 C; depositing a metal electrode material onto the polymer film; attaching a plurality of electrical leads to the metal electrode coated polymeric substrate; heating the metal electrode coated polymeric substrate in a low dielectric medium; applying a voltage to the heated metal electrode coated polymeric substrate to induce polarization; and cooling the polarized metal electrode coated polymeric electrode while maintaining a constant voltage.

  11. Ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films and their applications for integrated capacitors, piezoelectric ultrasound transducers and piezoelectric switches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klee, M.; Boots, H.; Kumar, B.; van Heesch, C.; Mauczok, R.; Keur, W.; de Wild, M.; van Esch, H.; Roest, A. L.; Reimann, K.; van Leuken, L.; Wunnicke, O.; Zhao, J.; Schmitz, G.; Mienkina, M.; Mleczko, M.; Tiggelman, M.

    2010-02-01

    Ferroelectric and piezoelectric thin films are gaining more and more importance for the integration of high performance devices in small modules. High-K 'Integrated Discretes' devices have been developed, which are based on thin film ferroelectric capacitors integrated together with resistors and ESD protection diodes in a small Si-based chip-scale package. Making use of ferroelectric thin films with relative permittivity of 950-1600 and stacking processes of capacitors, extremely high capacitance densities of 20-520 nF/mm2, high breakdown voltages up to 140 V and lifetimes of more than 10 years at operating voltages of 5 V and 85°C are achieved. Thin film high-density capacitors play also an important role as tunable capacitors for applications such as tuneable matching circuits for RF sections of mobile phones. The performance of thin film tuneable capacitors at frequencies between 1 MHz and 1 GHz is investigated. Finally thin film piezoelectric ultrasound transducers, processed in Si- related processes, are attractive for medical imaging, since they enable large bandwidth (>100%), high frequency operation and have the potential to integrate electronics. With these piezoelectric thin film ultrasound transducers real time ultrasound images have been realized. Finally, piezoelectric thin films are used to manufacture galvanic MEMS switches. A model for the quasi-static mechanical behaviour is presented and compared with measurements.

  12. Piezoelectric transformer structural modeling--a review.

    PubMed

    Yang, Jiashi

    2007-06-01

    A review on piezoelectric transformer structural modeling is presented. The operating principle and the basic behavior of piezoelectric transformers as governed by the linear theory of piezoelectricity are shown by a simple, theoretical analysis on a Rosen transformer based on extensional modes of a nonhomogeneous ceramic rod. Various transformers are classified according to their structural shapes, operating modes, and voltage transforming capability. Theoretical and numerical modeling results from the theory of piezoelectricity are reviewed. More advances modeling on thermal and nonlinear effects also are discussed. The article contains 167 references.

  13. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project. DRAFT Joint Test Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2011-01-01

    The use of conventional tin-lead (SnPb) in circuit board manufacturing is under ever-increasing political scrutiny due to increasing regulations concerning lead. The "Restriction of Hazardous Substances" (RoHS) directive enacted by the European Union (EU) and a pact between the United States National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI), Europe's Soldertec at Tin Technology Ltd. and the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) are just two examples where worldwide legislative actions and partnerships/agreements are affecting the electronics industry. As a result, many global commercial-grade electronic component suppliers are initiating efforts to transition to lead-free (Pb-free) in order to retain their worldwide market. Pb-free components are likely to find their way into the inventory of aerospace or military assembly processes under current government acquisition reform initiatives. Inventories "contaminated" by Pb-free will result in increased risks associated with the manufacturing, product reliability, and subsequent repair of aerospace and military electronic systems. Although electronics for military and aerospace applications are not included in the RoHS legislation, engineers are beginning to find that the commercial industry's move towards RoHS compliance has affected their supply chain and changed their parts. Most parts suppliers plan to phase out their non-compliant, leaded production and many have already done so. As a result, the ability to find leaded components is getting harder and harder. Some buyers are now attempting to acquire the remaining SnPb inventory, if it's not already obsolete. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), depots, and support contractors have to be prepared to deal with an electronics supply chain that increasingly provides more and more parts with Pb-free finishes-some labeled no differently than their Pb counterparts-while at the same time providing the traditional Pb parts

  14. An Active Damping at Blade Resonances Using Piezoelectric Transducers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Choi, Benjamin; Morrison, Carlos; Duffy, Kirsten

    2008-01-01

    The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing an active damping at blade resonances using piezoelectric structure to reduce excessive vibratory stresses that lead to high cycle fatigue (HCF) failures in aircraft engine turbomachinery. Conventional passive damping work was shown first on a nonrotating beam made by Ti-6A1-4V with a pair of identical piezoelectric patches, and then active feedback control law was derived in terms of inductor, resister, and capacitor to control resonant frequency only. Passive electronic circuit components and adaptive feature could be easily programmable into control algorithm. Experimental active damping was demonstrated on two test specimens achieving significant damping on tip displacement and patch location. Also a multimode control technique was shown to control several modes.

  15. Study on the electromechanical coupling coefficient of Rayleigh-type surface acoustic waves in semi-infinite piezoelectrics/non-piezoelectrics superlattices.

    PubMed

    Chen, Shi; Zhang, Yinhong; Lin, Shuyu; Fu, Zhiqiang

    2014-02-01

    The electromechanical coupling coefficient of Rayleigh-type surface acoustic waves in semi-infinite piezoelectrics/non-piezoelectrics superlattices is investigated by the transfer matrix method. Research results show the high electromechanical coupling coefficient can be obtained in these systems. The optimization design of it is also discussed fully. It is significantly influenced by electrical boundary conditions on interfaces, thickness ratios of piezoelectric and non-piezoelectric layers, and material parameters (such as velocities of pure longitudinal and transversal bulk waves in non-piezoelectric layers). In order to obtain higher electromechanical coupling coefficient, shorted interfaces, non-piezoelectric materials with large velocities of longitudinal and transversal bulk waves, and proper thickness ratios should be chosen. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. A Bragg beam splitter for hard x-ray free-electron lasers.

    PubMed

    Osaka, Taito; Yabashi, Makina; Sano, Yasuhisa; Tono, Kensuke; Inubushi, Yuichi; Sato, Takahiro; Matsuyama, Satoshi; Ishikawa, Tetsuya; Yamauchi, Kazuto

    2013-02-11

    We report a Bragg beam splitter developed for utilization of hard x-ray free-electron lasers. The splitter is based on an ultrathin silicon crystal operating in the symmetric Bragg geometry to provide high reflectivity and transmissivity simultaneously. We fabricated frame-shaped Si(511) and (110) crystals with thicknesses below 10 μm by a reactive dry etching method using atmospheric-pressure plasma. The thickness variation over an illuminated area is less than 300 nm peak-to-valley. High crystalline perfection was verified by topographic and diffractometric measurements. The crystal thickness was evaluated from the period of the Pendellösung beats measured with a highly monochromatic and collimated x-ray probe. The crystals provide two replica pulses with uniform wavefront [(<1/50)λ] and low spatial intensity variation (<5%). These Bragg beam splitters will play an important role in innovating XFEL applications.

  17. Using Diffusion Bonding in Making Piezoelectric Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sager, Frank E.

    2003-01-01

    A technique for the fabrication of piezoelectric actuators that generate acceptably large forces and deflections at relatively low applied voltages involves the stacking and diffusion bonding of multiple thin piezoelectric layers coated with film electrodes. The present technique stands in contrast to an older technique in which the layers are bonded chemically, by use of urethane or epoxy agents. The older chemical-bonding technique entails several disadvantages, including the following: It is difficult to apply the bonding agents to the piezoelectric layers. It is difficult to position the layers accurately and without making mistakes. There is a problem of disposal of hazardous urethane and epoxy wastes. The urethane and epoxy agents are nonpiezoelectric materials. As such, they contribute to the thickness of a piezoelectric laminate without contributing to its performance; conversely, for a given total thickness, the performance of the laminate is below that of a unitary piezoelectric plate of the same thickness. The figure depicts some aspects of the fabrication of a laminated piezoelectric actuator by the present diffusion- bonding technique. First, stock sheets of the piezoelectric material are inspected and tested. Next, the hole pattern shown in the figure is punched into the sheets. Alternatively, if the piezoelectric material is not a polymer, then the holes are punched in thermoplastic films. Then both faces of each punched piezoelectric sheet or thermoplastic film are coated with a silver-ink electrode material by use of a silkscreen printer. The electrode and hole patterns are designed for minimal complexity and minimal waste of material. After a final electrical test, all the coated piezoelectric layers (or piezoelectric layers and coated thermoplastic films) are stacked in an alignment jig, which, in turn, is placed in a curved press for the diffusion-bonding process. In this process, the stack is pressed and heated at a specified curing temperature

  18. High-Fidelity Piezoelectric Audio Device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodward, Stanley E.; Fox, Robert L.; Bryant, Robert G.

    2003-01-01

    ModalMax is a very innovative means of harnessing the vibration of a piezoelectric actuator to produce an energy efficient low-profile device with high-bandwidth high-fidelity audio response. The piezoelectric audio device outperforms many commercially available speakers made using speaker cones. The piezoelectric device weighs substantially less (4 g) than the speaker cones which use magnets (10 g). ModalMax devices have extreme fabrication simplicity. The entire audio device is fabricated by lamination. The simplicity of the design lends itself to lower cost. The piezoelectric audio device can be used without its acoustic chambers and thereby resulting in a very low thickness of 0.023 in. (0.58 mm). The piezoelectric audio device can be completely encapsulated, which makes it very attractive for use in wet environments. Encapsulation does not significantly alter the audio response. Its small size (see Figure 1) is applicable to many consumer electronic products, such as pagers, portable radios, headphones, laptop computers, computer monitors, toys, and electronic games. The audio device can also be used in automobile or aircraft sound systems.

  19. Compositional Design of Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of (K, Na)NbO₃ and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O₃ Based Ceramics Prepared by Different Sintering Routes.

    PubMed

    Eiras, José A; Gerbasi, Rosimeire B Z; Rosso, Jaciele M; Silva, Daniel M; Cótica, Luiz F; Santos, Ivair A; Souza, Camila A; Lente, Manuel H

    2016-03-08

    Lead free piezoelectric materials are being intensively investigated in order to substitute lead based ones, commonly used in many different applications. Among the most promising lead-free materials are those with modified NaNbO₃, such as (K, Na)NbO₃ (KNN) and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O₃ (BTNN) families. From a ceramic processing point of view, high density single phase KNN and BTNN ceramics are very difficult to sinter due to the volatility of the alkaline elements, the narrow sintering temperature range and the anomalous grain growth. In this work, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and high-energy ball milling (HEBM), following heat treatments (calcining and sintering), in oxidative (O₂) atmosphere have been used to prepare single phase highly densified KNN ("pure" and Cu 2+ or Li 1+ doped), with theoretical densities ρ th > 97% and BTNN ceramics (ρ th - 90%), respectively. Using BTTN ceramics with a P 4 mm perovskite-like structure, we showed that by increasing the NaNbO₃ content, the ferroelectric properties change from having a relaxor effect to an almost "normal" ferroelectric character, while the tetragonality and grain size increase and the shear piezoelectric coefficients ( k 15 , g 15 and d 15 ) improve. For KNN ceramics, the results reveal that the values for remanent polarization as well as for most of the coercive field are quite similar among all compositions. These facts evidenced that Cu 2+ may be incorporated into the A and/or B sites of the perovskite structure, having both hardening and softening effects.

  20. Enhanced output performance of a lead-free nanocomposite generator using BaTiO3 nanoparticles and nanowires filler

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baek, Changyeon; Yun, Jong Hyuk; Wang, Hee Seung; Wang, Ji Eun; Park, Hyeonbin; Park, Kwi-Il; Kim, Do Kyung

    2018-01-01

    Flexible nanocomposite generators based on piezoelectric nanoparticles (NPs)-polymeric matrix have been attracted attention as the energy harvesting device converted the electricity from the mechanical deformations. To enhance the piezo-potential difference introduced inside the piezoelectric nanocomposite, one-dimensional nanostructures such as CNTs, copper nanorods, and Ag nanowires (NWs) should be used inevitably as a dispersing agent for achieving well-distributed piezoelectric nanoparticles in an elastomer. These non-piezoelectric additives showed versatile roles; however, their toxicity to living organism has been an obstacle to realize the bio-eco-friendly flexible energy harvesters. Replacing them with piezoelectric NWs with non-toxic can be a challengeable approach to achieve not only the original purposes of additives but also the improvement of output performance. Here, we synthesized well-crystallized BaTiO3 spherical and acicular NPs via a simple hydrothermal reaction and the two-step hydrothermal reactions, respectively and produced piezoelectric nanocomposite made of piezoelectric BaTiO3 NPs and NWs without toxic dispersion enhancers. Output performance of the fabricated flexible energy harvesters with varying the composition of NPs and NWs were investigated by the well-optimized measurement system during the periodical bending and unbending. A nanocomposite-based energy harvester with 4:1 wt ratio generated the maximum open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current of 60 V and 1.1 μA, respectively.

  1. Switching characteristics of (Bi 1/2Na 1/2)TiO 3-BaTiO 3-(Bi 1/2K 1/2)TiO 3 lead-free ferroelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shieh, J.; Wu, K. C.; Chen, C. S.

    2007-04-01

    The polarization switching characteristics of lead-free a(Bi 1/2Na 1/2)TiO 3-bBaTiO 3-c(Bi 1/2K 1/2)TiO 3 (abbreviated as BNBK 100a/100b/100c) ferroelectric ceramics are investigated. This is achieved through examining their polarization and strain hystereses inside and outside the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). The total induced electrostrain (ɛ 33,total) and apparent piezoelectric charge coefficient (d 33) first increase dramatically and then decrease gradually as the BNBK composition moves from the tetragonal phase to the MPB and then to the rhombohedral phase. The measured polarization hystereses indicate that the BNBK compositions situated near the rhombohedral side of the MPB typically possess higher coercive field (E c) and remanent polarization (P r), while the compositions situated near the tetragonal side of the MPB possess higher apparent permittivity. Adverse effects on the ferroelectric properties are observed when BNBK is doped with donor dopants such as La and Nb. On the contrary, intricate hysteresis behaviors are observed when acceptor dopant Mn is introduced into BNBK. Under an alternating electric field of +/-5.0 MVm -1, BNBK 85.4/2.6/12, a composition well within the MPB, exhibits an ɛ 33,total of ~0.14%, an apparent d 33 of 295 pCN -1, an E c of 2.5 MVm -1 and a Pr of 22.5 μCcm -2. These notable ferroelectric property values suggest a candidate material for lead-free actuator applications. The present study provides a systematic set of hysteresis measurements which can be used to characterize the switching behaviors of BNBK-based lead-free ferroelectrics.

  2. High-displacement spiral piezoelectric actuators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohammadi, F.; Kholkin, A. L.; Jadidian, B.; Safari, A.

    1999-10-01

    A high-displacement piezoelectric actuator, employing spiral geometry of a curved piezoelectric strip is described. The monolithic actuators are fabricated using a layered manufacturing technique, fused deposition of ceramics, which is capable of prototyping electroceramic components with complex shapes. The spiral actuators (2-3 cm in diameter) consisted of 4-5 turns of a lead zirconate titanate ceramic strip with an effective length up to 28 cm. The width was varied from 0.9 to 1.75 mm with a height of 3 mm. When driven by the electric field applied across the width of the spiral wall, the tip of the actuator was found to displace in both radial and tangential directions. The tangential displacement of the tip was about 210 μm under the field of 5 kV/cm. Both the displacement and resonant frequency of the spirals could be tailored by changing the effective length and wall width. The blocking force of the actuator in tangential direction was about 1 N under the field of 5 kV/cm. These properties are advantageous for high-displacement low-force applications where bimorph or monomorph actuators are currently employed.

  3. In vitro deposition of hydroxyapatite on cortical bone collagen stimulated by deformation-induced piezoelectricity.

    PubMed

    Noris-Suárez, Karem; Lira-Olivares, Joaquin; Ferreira, Ana Marina; Feijoo, José Luis; Suárez, Nery; Hernández, Maria C; Barrios, Esteban

    2007-03-01

    In the present work, we have studied the effect of the piezoelectricity of elastically deformed cortical bone collagen on surface using a biomimetic approach. The mineralization process induced as a consequence of the piezoelectricity effect was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEM micrographs showed that mineralization occurred predominantly over the compressed side of bone collagen, due to the effect of piezoelectricity, when the sample was immersed in the simulated body fluid (SBF) in a cell-free system. The TSDC method was used to examine the complex collagen dielectric response. The dielectric spectra of deformed and undeformed collagen samples with different hydration levels were compared and correlated with the mineralization process followed by SEM. The dielectric measurements showed that the mineralization induced significant changes in the dielectric spectra of the deformed sample. DSC and TSDC results demonstrated a reduction of the collagen glass transition as the mineralization process advanced. The combined use of SEM, TSDC, and DSC showed that, even without osteoblasts present, the piezoelectric dipoles produced by deformed collagen can produce the precipitation of hydroxyapatite by electrochemical means, without a catalytic converter as occurs in classical biomimetic deposition.

  4. Revisiting the Characterization of the Losses in Piezoelectric Materials from Impedance Spectroscopy at Resonance.

    PubMed

    González, Amador M; García, Álvaro; Benavente-Peces, César; Pardo, Lorena

    2016-01-26

    Electronic devices using the piezoelectric effect contain piezoelectric materials: often crystals, but in many cases poled ferroelectric ceramics (piezoceramics), polymers or composites. On the one hand, these materials exhibit non-negligible losses, not only dielectric, but also mechanical and piezoelectric. In this work, we made simulations of the effect of the three types of losses in piezoelectric materials on the impedance spectrum at the resonance. We analyze independently each type of loss and show the differences among them. On the other hand, electrical and electronic engineers include piezoelectric sensors in electrical circuits to build devices and need electrical models of the sensor element. Frequently, material scientists and engineers use different languages, and the characteristic material coefficients do not have a straightforward translation to those specific electrical circuit components. To connect both fields of study, we propose the use of accurate methods of characterization from impedance measurements at electromechanical resonance that lead to determination of all types of losses, as an alternative to current standards. We introduce a simplified equivalent circuit model with electrical parameters that account for piezoceramic losses needed for the modeling and design of industrial applications.

  5. Revisiting the Characterization of the Losses in Piezoelectric Materials from Impedance Spectroscopy at Resonance

    PubMed Central

    González, Amador M.; García, Álvaro; Benavente-Peces, César; Pardo, Lorena

    2016-01-01

    Electronic devices using the piezoelectric effect contain piezoelectric materials: often crystals, but in many cases poled ferroelectric ceramics (piezoceramics), polymers or composites. On the one hand, these materials exhibit non-negligible losses, not only dielectric, but also mechanical and piezoelectric. In this work, we made simulations of the effect of the three types of losses in piezoelectric materials on the impedance spectrum at the resonance. We analyze independently each type of loss and show the differences among them. On the other hand, electrical and electronic engineers include piezoelectric sensors in electrical circuits to build devices and need electrical models of the sensor element. Frequently, material scientists and engineers use different languages, and the characteristic material coefficients do not have a straightforward translation to those specific electrical circuit components. To connect both fields of study, we propose the use of accurate methods of characterization from impedance measurements at electromechanical resonance that lead to determination of all types of losses, as an alternative to current standards. We introduce a simplified equivalent circuit model with electrical parameters that account for piezoceramic losses needed for the modeling and design of industrial applications. PMID:28787872

  6. Polariton resonances in multilayered piezoelectric superlattices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piliposyan, D.

    2018-04-01

    Coupled electro-elastic SH waves propagating in a periodic piezoelectric finite-length superlattice with identical piezoelectric materials in a unit cell are considered in the framework of the full system of Maxwell’s electrodynamic equations. In the long wavelength region, coupling between electro-magnetic and elastic waves creates frequency band gaps. It is shown that for piezoelectric superlattice at acoustic frequencies, acousto-optic coupling gives rise to polariton behavior at wavelengths much larger than the length of the unit cell. The results of the paper may be useful in design of narrow band filters or multi-channel piezoelectric filters.

  7. Active Vibration Control of a Railway Vehicle Carbody Using Piezoelectric Elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molatefi, Habibollah; Ayoubi, Pejman; Mozafari, Hozhabr

    2017-07-01

    In recent years and according to modern transportation development, rail vehicles are manufactured lighter to achieve higher speed and lower transportation costs. On the other hand, weight reduction of rail vehicles leads to increase the structural vibration. In this study, Active Vibration Control of a rail vehicle using piezoelectric elements is investigated. The optimal control employed as the control approach regard to the first two modes of vibration. A simplified Car body structure is modeled in Matlab using the finite element theory by considering six DOF beam element and then the Eigen functions and mode shapes are derived. The surface roughness of different classes of rail tracks have been obtained using random vibration theory and applied to the secondary suspension as the excitation of the structure; Then piezoelectric mounted where the greatest moments were captured. The effectiveness of Piezoelectric in structural vibrations attenuation of car body is demonstrated through the state space equations and its effect on modal coefficient.

  8. Variation of protein MWD parameters and their associations with free asparagine concentration and quality characteristics in hard red spring wheat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This research was performed to determine variation of protein molecular weight distribution (MWD) parameters using size exclusion HPLC and their associations with quality characteristics and free asparagine concentration (FAC) using eleven hard red spring (HRS) wheat genotypes grown at three locatio...

  9. Electroelastic fields in a layered piezoelectric cylindrical shell under dynamic load

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saviz, M. R.; Shakeri, M.; Yas, M. H.

    2007-10-01

    The objective of this paper is to demonstrate layerwise theory for the analysis of thick laminated piezoelectric shell structures. A general finite element formulation using the layerwise theory is developed for a laminated cylindrical shell with piezoelectric layers, subjected to dynamic loads. The quadratic approximation of the displacement and electric potential in the thickness direction is considered. The governing equations are reduced to two-dimensional (2D) differential equations. The three-dimensional (3D) elasticity solution is also presented. The resulting equations are solved by a proper finite element method. The numerical results for static loading are compared with exact solutions of benchmark problems. Numerical examples of the dynamic problem are presented. The convergence is studied, as is the influence of the electromechanical coupling on the axisymmetric free-vibration characteristics of a thick cylinder.

  10. PZT Thin Film Piezoelectric Traveling Wave Motor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shen, Dexin; Zhang, Baoan; Yang, Genqing; Jiao, Jiwei; Lu, Jianguo; Wang, Weiyuan

    1995-01-01

    With the development of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), its various applications are attracting more and more attention. Among MEMS, micro motors, electrostatic and electromagnetic, are the typical and important ones. As an alternative approach, the piezoelectric traveling wave micro motor, based on thin film material and integrated circuit technologies, circumvents many of the drawbacks of the above mentioned two types of motors and displays distinct advantages. In this paper we report on a lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric thin film traveling wave motor. The PZT film with a thickness of 150 micrometers and a diameter of 8 mm was first deposited onto a metal substrate as the stator material. Then, eight sections were patterned to form the stator electrodes. The rotor had an 8 kHz frequency power supply. The rotation speed of the motor is 100 rpm. The relationship of the friction between the stator and the rotor and the structure of the rotor on rotation were also studied.

  11. Piezoelectric Ceramics and Their Applications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flinn, I.

    1975-01-01

    Describes the piezoelectric effect in ceramics and presents a quantitative representation of this effect. Explains the processes involved in the manufacture of piezoelectric ceramics, the materials used, and the situations in which they are applied. (GS)

  12. Zinc oxide piezoelectric nano-generators for low frequency applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nour, E. S.; Nur, O.; Willander, M.

    2017-06-01

    Piezoelectric Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanogenerators (NGs) have been fabricated for low frequency (<100 Hz) energy harvesting applications. Different types of NGs based on ZnO nanostructures have been carefully developed, and studied for testing under different kinds of low frequency mechanical deformations. Well aligned ZnO nanowires (NWs) possessing high piezoelectric coefficient were synthesized on flexible substrates using the low temperature hydrothermal route. These ZnO NWs were then used in different configurations to demonstrate different low frequency energy harvesting devices. Using piezoelectric ZnO NWs, we started with the fabrication of a sandwiched NG for a handwriting enabled energy harvesting device based on a thin silver layer coated paper substrate. Such device configurations can be used for the development of electronic programmable smart paper. Further, we developed this NG to work as a triggered sensor for a wireless system using footstep pressure. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of using a ZnO NWs piezoelectric NG as a low-frequency self- powered sensor, with potential applications in wireless sensor networks. After that, we investigated and fabricated a sensor on a PEDOT: PSS plastic substrate using a one-sided growth and double-sided growth technique. For the first growth technique, the fabricated NG has been used as a sensor for an acceleration system; while the fabricated NG by the second technique works as an anisotropic direction sensor. This fabricated configuration showed stability for sensing and can be used in surveillance, security, and auto-Mobil applications. In addition to that, we investigated the fabrication of a sandwiched NG on plastic substrates. Finally, we demonstrated that doping ZnO NWs with extrinsic elements (such as Ag) will lead to the reduction of the piezoelectric effect due to the loss of crystal symmetry. A brief summary into future opportunities and challenges is also presented.

  13. Three-dimensional piezoelectric boundary elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, Lisa Renee

    The strong coupling between mechanical and electrical fields in piezoelectric ceramics makes them appropriate for use as actuation devices; as a result, they are an important part of the emerging technologies of smart materials and structures. These piezoceramics are very brittle and susceptible to fracture, especially under the severe loading conditions which may occur in service. A significant portion of the applications under investigation involve dynamic loading conditions. Once a crack is initiated in the piezoelectric medium, the mechanical and electrical fields can act to drive the crack growth. Failure of the actuator can result from a catastrophic fracture event or from the cumulative effects of cyclic fatigue. The presence of these cracks, or other types of material defects, alter the mechanical and electrical fields inside the body. Specifically, concentrations of stress and electric field are present near a flaw and can lead to material yielding or localized depoling, which in turn can affect the sensor/actuator performance or cause failure. Understanding these effects is critical to the success of these smart structures. The complex coupling behavior and the anisotropy of the material makes the use of numerical methods necessary for all but the simplest problems. To this end, a three-dimensional boundary element method program is developed to evaluate the effect of flaws on these piezoelectric materials. The program is based on the linear governing equations of piezoelectricity and relies on a numerically evaluated Green's function for solution. The boundary element method was selected as the evaluation tool due to its ability to model the interior domain exactly. Thus, for piezoelectric materials the coupling between mechanical and electrical fields is not approximated inside the body. Holes in infinite and finite piezoceramics are investigated, with the localized stresses and electric fields clearly developed. The accuracy of the piezoelectric

  14. On the transient dynamics of piezoelectric-based, state-switched systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopp, Garrett K.; Kelley, Christopher R.; Kauffman, Jeffrey L.

    2018-01-01

    This letter reports on the induced mechanical transients for piezoelectric-based, state-switching approaches utilizing both experimental tests and a numerical model that more accurately captures the dynamics associated with a switch between stiffness states. Currently, switching models instantaneously dissipate the stored piezoelectric voltage, resulting in a discrete change in effective stiffness states and a discontinuity in the system dynamics during the switching event. The proposed model allows for a rapid but continuous voltage dissipation and the corresponding variation between stiffness states, as one sees in physical implementations. This rapid variation in system stiffness when switching at a point of non-zero strain leads to high-frequency, large-amplitude transients in the system acceleration response. Utilizing a fundamental piezoelectric bimorph, a comparison between the numerical and experimental results reveals that these mechanical transients are much stronger than originally anticipated and masked by measurement hardware limitations, thus highlighting the significance of an appropriate system model governing the switch dynamics. Such a model enables designers to analyze systems that incorporate piezoelectric-based state switching with greater accuracy to ensure that these transients do not degrade the intended performance. Finally, if the switching does create unacceptable transients, controlling the duration of voltage dissipation enables control over the frequency content and peak amplitudes associated with the switch-induced acceleration transients.

  15. Enhanced pyroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT with aligned porosity for energy harvesting applications.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yan; Xie, Mengying; Roscow, James; Bao, Yinxiang; Zhou, Kechao; Zhang, Dou; Bowen, Chris R

    2017-04-14

    This paper demonstrates the significant benefits of exploiting highly aligned porosity in piezoelectric and pyroelectric materials for improved energy harvesting performance. Porous lead zirconate (PZT) ceramics with aligned pore channels and varying fractions of porosity were manufactured in a water-based suspension using freeze-casting. The aligned porous PZT ceramics were characterized in detail for both piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties and their energy harvesting performance figures of merit were assessed parallel and perpendicular to the freezing direction. As a result of the introduction of porosity into the ceramic microstructure, high piezoelectric and pyroelectric harvesting figures of merits were achieved for porous freeze-cast PZT compared to dense PZT due to the reduced permittivity and volume specific heat capacity. Experimental results were compared to parallel and series analytical models with good agreement and the PZT with porosity aligned parallel to the freezing direction exhibited the highest piezoelectric and pyroelectric harvesting response; this was a result of the enhanced interconnectivity of the ferroelectric material along the poling direction and reduced fraction of unpoled material that leads to a higher polarization. A complete thermal energy harvesting system, composed of a parallel-aligned PZT harvester element and an AC/DC converter, was successfully demonstrated by charging a storage capacitor. The maximum energy density generated by the 60 vol% porous parallel-connected PZT when subjected to thermal oscillations was 1653 μJ cm -3 , which was 374% higher than that of the dense PZT with an energy density of 446 μJ cm -3 . The results are beneficial for the design and manufacture of high performance porous pyroelectric and piezoelectric materials in devices for energy harvesting and sensor applications.

  16. Multistage Force Amplification of Piezoelectric Stacks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Tian-Bing (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor); Zuo, Lei (Inventor); Jiang, Xiaoning (Inventor); Kang, Jin Ho (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Embodiments of the disclosure include an apparatus and methods for using a piezoelectric device, that includes an outer flextensional casing, a first cell and a last cell serially coupled to each other and coupled to the outer flextensional casing such that each cell having a flextensional cell structure and each cell receives an input force and provides an output force that is amplified based on the input force. The apparatus further includes a piezoelectric stack coupled to each cell such that the piezoelectric stack of each cell provides piezoelectric energy based on the output force for each cell. Further, the last cell receives an input force that is the output force from the first cell and the last cell provides an output apparatus force In addition, the piezoelectric energy harvested is based on the output apparatus force. Moreover, the apparatus provides displacement based on the output apparatus force.

  17. Ultra-flexible Piezoelectric Devices Integrated with Heart to Harvest the Biomechanical Energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Bingwei; Chen, Ying; Ou, Dapeng; Chen, Hang; Diao, Liwei; Zhang, Wei; Zheng, Jun; Ma, Weiguo; Sun, Lizhong; Feng, Xue

    2015-11-01

    Power supply for medical implantable devices (i.e. pacemaker) always challenges not only the surgery but also the battery technology. Here, we report a strategy for energy harvesting from the heart motion by using ultra-flexible piezoelectric device based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics that has most excellent piezoelectricity in commercial materials, without any burden or damage to hearts. Experimental swine are selected for in vivo test with different settings, i.e. opened chest, close chest and awake from anesthesia, to simulate the scenario of application in body due to their hearts similar to human. The results show the peak-to-peak voltage can reach as high as 3 V when the ultra-flexible piezoelectric device is fixed from left ventricular apex to right ventricle. This demonstrates the possibility and feasibility of fully using the biomechanical energy from heart motion in human body for sustainably driving implantable devices.

  18. Dielectric Properties of Piezoelectric Polyimides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ounaies, Z.; Young, J. A.; Simpson, J. O.; Farmer, B. L.

    1997-01-01

    Molecular modeling and dielectric measurements are being used to identify mechanisms governing piezoelectric behavior in polyimides such as dipole orientation during poling, as well as degree of piezoelectricity achievable. Molecular modeling on polyimides containing pendant, polar nitrile (CN) groups has been completed to determine their remanent polarization. Experimental investigation of their dielectric properties evaluated as a function of temperature and frequency has substantiated numerical predictions. With this information in hand, we are then able to suggest changes in the molecular structures, which will then improve upon the piezoelectric response.

  19. Resonance analysis of a high temperature piezoelectric disc for sensitivity characterization.

    PubMed

    Bilgunde, Prathamesh N; Bond, Leonard J

    2018-07-01

    Ultrasonic transducers for high temperature (200 °C+) applications are a key enabling technology for advanced nuclear power systems and in a range of chemical and petro-chemical industries. Design, fabrication and optimization of such transducers using piezoelectric materials remains a challenge. In this work, experimental data-based analysis is performed to investigate the fundamental causal factors for the resonance characteristics of a piezoelectric disc at elevated temperatures. The effect of all ten temperature-dependent piezoelectric constants (ε 33 , ε 11 , d 33 , d 31 , d 15 , s 11 , s 12 , s 13 , s 33 , s 44 ) is studied numerically on both the radial and thickness mode resonances of a piezoelectric disc. A sensitivity index is defined to quantify the effect of each of the temperature-dependent coefficients on the resonance modes of the modified lead zirconium titanate disc. The temperature dependence of s 33 showed highest sensitivity towards the thickness resonance mode followed by ε 33 , s 11 , s 13 , s 12 , d 31 , d 33 , s 44 , ε 11 , and d 15 in the decreasing order of the sensitivity index. For radial resonance modes, the temperature dependence of ε 33 showed highest sensitivity index followed by s 11 , s 12 and d 31 coefficient. This numerical study demonstrates that the magnitude of d 33 is not the sole factor that affects the resonance characteristics of the piezoelectric disc at high temperatures. It appears that there exists a complex interplay between various temperature dependent piezoelectric coefficients that causes reduction in the thickness mode resonance frequencies which is found to be agreement in with the experimental data at an elevated temperature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Laminated piezoelectric transformer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vazquez Carazo, Alfredo (Inventor)

    2006-01-01

    A laminated piezoelectric transformer is provided using the longitudinal vibration modes for step-up voltage conversion applications. The input portions are polarized to deform in a longitudinal plane and are bonded to an output portion. The deformation of the input portions is mechanically coupled to the output portion, which deforms in the same longitudinal direction relative to the input portion. The output portion is polarized in the thickness direction relative its electrodes, and piezoelectrically generates a stepped-up output voltage.

  1. Claudio Pellegrini and the World’s First Hard X-ray Free-Electron Laser

    ScienceCinema

    Pellegrini, Claudio

    2018-01-16

    President Obama welcomed SLAC's Claudio Pellegrini inside the Oval Office on Tuesday morning as a recipient of the Enrico Fermi Award, one of the highest honors the U.S. government can give to a scientist. Pellegrini, a visiting scientist and consulting professor at SLAC and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles, received the award for research that aided in the development of X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) including SLAC's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a DOE Office of Science User Facility that started up in 2009. Here, Pellegrini describes his efforts that contributed to the realization of SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source, the world’s first hard X-ray free-electron laser.

  2. Piezoelectric Power Requirements for Active Vibration Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brennan, Matthew C.; McGowan, Anna-Maria Rivas

    1997-01-01

    This paper presents a method for predicting the power consumption of piezoelectric actuators utilized for active vibration control. Analytical developments and experimental tests show that the maximum power required to control a structure using surface-bonded piezoelectric actuators is independent of the dynamics between the piezoelectric actuator and the host structure. The results demonstrate that for a perfectly-controlled system, the power consumption is a function of the quantity and type of piezoelectric actuators and the voltage and frequency of the control law output signal. Furthermore, as control effectiveness decreases, the power consumption of the piezoelectric actuators decreases. In addition, experimental results revealed a non-linear behavior in the material properties of piezoelectric actuators. The material non- linearity displayed a significant increase in capacitance with an increase in excitation voltage. Tests show that if the non-linearity of the capacitance was accounted for, a conservative estimate of the power can easily be determined.

  3. Compositional Design of Dielectric, Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of (K, Na)NbO3 and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O3 Based Ceramics Prepared by Different Sintering Routes

    PubMed Central

    Eiras, José A.; Gerbasi, Rosimeire B. Z.; Rosso, Jaciele M.; Silva, Daniel M.; Cótica, Luiz F.; Santos, Ivair A.; Souza, Camila A.; Lente, Manuel H.

    2016-01-01

    Lead free piezoelectric materials are being intensively investigated in order to substitute lead based ones, commonly used in many different applications. Among the most promising lead-free materials are those with modified NaNbO3, such as (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN) and (Ba, Na)(Ti, Nb)O3 (BTNN) families. From a ceramic processing point of view, high density single phase KNN and BTNN ceramics are very difficult to sinter due to the volatility of the alkaline elements, the narrow sintering temperature range and the anomalous grain growth. In this work, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) and high-energy ball milling (HEBM), following heat treatments (calcining and sintering), in oxidative (O2) atmosphere have been used to prepare single phase highly densified KNN (“pure” and Cu2+ or Li1+ doped), with theoretical densities ρth > 97% and BTNN ceramics (ρth ~ 90%), respectively. Using BTTN ceramics with a P4mm perovskite-like structure, we showed that by increasing the NaNbO3 content, the ferroelectric properties change from having a relaxor effect to an almost “normal” ferroelectric character, while the tetragonality and grain size increase and the shear piezoelectric coefficients (k15, g15 and d15) improve. For KNN ceramics, the results reveal that the values for remanent polarization as well as for most of the coercive field are quite similar among all compositions. These facts evidenced that Cu2+ may be incorporated into the A and/or B sites of the perovskite structure, having both hardening and softening effects. PMID:28773304

  4. Piezoelectric nanoparticle-polymer composite foams.

    PubMed

    McCall, William R; Kim, Kanguk; Heath, Cory; La Pierre, Gina; Sirbuly, Donald J

    2014-11-26

    Piezoelectric polymer composite foams are synthesized using different sugar-templating strategies. By incorporating sugar grains directly into polydimethylsiloxane mixtures containing barium titanate nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, followed by removal of the sugar after polymer curing, highly compliant materials with excellent piezoelectric properties can be fabricated. Porosities and elasticity are tuned by simply adjusting the sugar/polymer mass ratio which gave an upper bound on the porosity of 73% and a lower bound on the elastic coefficient of 32 kPa. The electrical performance of the foams showed a direct relationship between porosity and the piezoelectric outputs, giving piezoelectric coefficient values of ∼112 pC/N and a power output of ∼18 mW/cm3 under a load of 10 N for the highest porosity samples. These novel materials should find exciting use in a variety of applications including energy scavenging platforms, biosensors, and acoustic actuators.

  5. [Piezoelectric property of novel biological piezoelectric ceramic HALNK and its effect on the functional expression of rat osteoblast cells].

    PubMed

    Wang, Peng; Zhang, Jin-Chao; Zhang, Xiao-Zhou; Liu, Zhi-Qin; Chen, Que-Ting; Sun, Jing; Chen, Zhi-Qing

    2009-09-01

    To test the Piezoelectric property of novel biological piezoelectric ceramic HALNK and its effect on the proliferation and differentiation of rat osteoblast cells. The biological piezoelectric ceramic HALNK1/9 and HALNK5/5 were prepared by mixing Hydroxyapatite (HA) with lithium sodium potassium niobate (LNK) piezoelectric ceramic at a ratio of 1/9 and 5/5 (wt/wt), respectively. After poling treatment, the piezoelectric constants were measured. The osteoblast cells were then seeded on the surfaces of HALNK. The proliferation and differentiation activities of the osteoblast cells were evaluated by MTT assays, ALP activities and scanning electron microscopy examinations. Cells grown on the surfaces of HALNK showed normal morphology, and had better proliferation and differentiation activities than the control. The growth of osteoblastic cells on the surface of HALNK1/9 was significantly better than others. The surface of HALNK 1/9 possesses better piezoelectric property and osteogenesis potential than HALNK5/5.

  6. Anisotropic piezoelectric twist actuation of helicopter rotor blades: Aeroelastic analysis and design optimization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkie, William Keats

    1997-12-01

    An aeroelastic model suitable for control law and preliminary structural design of composite helicopter rotor blades incorporating embedded anisotropic piezoelectric actuator laminae is developed. The aeroelasticity model consists of a linear, nonuniform beam representation of the blade structure, including linear piezoelectric actuation terms, coupled with a nonlinear, finite-state unsteady aerodynamics model. A Galerkin procedure and numerical integration in the time domain are used to obtain a soluti An aeroelastic model suitable for control law and preliminary structural design of composite helicopter rotor blades incorporating embedded anisotropic piezoelectric actuator laminae is developed. The aeroelasticity model consists of a linear, nonuniform beam representation of the blade structure, including linear piezoelectric actuation terms, coupled with a nonlinear, finite-state unsteady aerodynamics model. A Galerkin procedure and numerical integration in the time domain are used to obtain amited additional piezoelectric material mass, it is shown that blade twist actuation approaches which exploit in-plane piezoelectric free-stain anisotropies are capable of producing amplitudes of oscillatory blade twisting sufficient for rotor vibration reduction applications. The second study examines the effectiveness of using embedded piezoelectric actuator laminae to alleviate vibratory loads due to retreating blade stall. A 10 to 15 percent improvement in dynamic stall limited forward flight speed, and a 5 percent improvement in stall limited rotor thrust were numerically demonstrated for the active twist rotor blade relative to a conventional blade design. The active twist blades are also demonstrated to be more susceptible than the conventional blades to dynamic stall induced vibratory loads when not operating with twist actuation. This is the result of designing the active twist blades with low torsional stiffness in order to maximize piezoelectric twist authority

  7. Synthesis of Ferroelectric Lead Titanate Nanohoneycomb Arrays via Lead Supplement Process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Bongsoo; Hong, Seungbum; Ahn, Gun

    In this paper, we demonstrate a novel process to convert TiO 2 nanotubes into ferroelectric nanohoneycombs, comprised of vertically aligned PbTiO 3 nanotubes. Tube bottom opening process enabled effective infiltration of lead acetate precursor into the nanotubes. Finally, nanohoneycombs, which were converted via additional lead supplement process, showed uniform conversion and well-defined ferroelectric properties with the effective piezoelectric coefficient of approximately 20 pm/V, which was measured by piezoresponse force microscopy.

  8. Synthesis of Ferroelectric Lead Titanate Nanohoneycomb Arrays via Lead Supplement Process

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Bongsoo; Hong, Seungbum; Ahn, Gun; ...

    2016-05-14

    In this paper, we demonstrate a novel process to convert TiO 2 nanotubes into ferroelectric nanohoneycombs, comprised of vertically aligned PbTiO 3 nanotubes. Tube bottom opening process enabled effective infiltration of lead acetate precursor into the nanotubes. Finally, nanohoneycombs, which were converted via additional lead supplement process, showed uniform conversion and well-defined ferroelectric properties with the effective piezoelectric coefficient of approximately 20 pm/V, which was measured by piezoresponse force microscopy.

  9. Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of lead-free Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9-xZr0.1CuxO3 ceramics synthesized by a hydrothermal method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hunpratub, Sitchai; Phokha, Sumalin; Maensiri, Santi; Chindaprasirt, Prinya

    2016-04-01

    Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1-xCuxO3 (BCTZC) nanopowders were synthesized using a hydrothermal method after which they were pressed into discs and sintered in air at 1300 °C for 3 h to form ceramic samples. The phase and microstructure of the powder and ceramic samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD results indicated that the ceramic samples exhibited a tetragonal structure and that CuO, BaZrO3 or CaTiO3 impurity phases, which had been present in the powder samples, were not observed. The average grain sizes in the ceramic samples were found to be 17.0, 16.1, 20.0, 18.1 and 19.6 μm for Cu mole fractions x of 0.002, 0.004, 0.006, 0.008 and 0.01, respectively. The dielectric constants, ferroelectric hysteresis loops and piezoelectric charge coefficients of the BCZTC ceramic samples were also investigated. Optimum values for the relative dielectric constant (ɛ‧), tan δ and piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) of the samples were 3830, 0.03 and 306 pC/N, respectively, in the Cu mole fraction samples with x = 0.002.

  10. Bone-Inspired Spatially Specific Piezoelectricity Induces Bone Regeneration

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Peng; Ning, Chengyun; Zhang, Yu; Tan, Guoxin; Lin, Zefeng; Liu, Shaoxiang; Wang, Xiaolan; Yang, Haoqi; Li, Kang; Yi, Xin; Zhu, Ye; Mao, Chuanbin

    2017-01-01

    The extracellular matrix of bone can be pictured as a material made of parallel interspersed domains of fibrous piezoelectric collagenous materials and non-piezoelectric non-collagenous materials. To mimic this feature for enhanced bone regeneration, a material made of two parallel interspersed domains, with higher and lower piezoelectricity, respectively, is constructed to form microscale piezoelectric zones (MPZs). The MPZs are produced using a versatile and effective laser-irradiation technique in which K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics are selectively irradiated to achieve microzone phase transitions. The phase structure of the laser-irradiated microzones is changed from a mixture of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases (with higher piezoelectricity) to a tetragonal dominant phase (with lower piezoelectricity). The microzoned piezoelectricity distribution results in spatially specific surface charge distribution, enabling the MPZs to bear bone-like microscale electric cues. Hence, the MPZs induce osteogenic differentiation of stem cells in vitro and bone regeneration in vivo even without being seeded with stem cells. The concept of mimicking the spatially specific piezoelectricity in bone will facilitate future research on the rational design of tissue regenerative materials. PMID:28900517

  11. Identifiable piezoelectric security system design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Zhenyu; Zhang, Xiaoming

    2017-10-01

    Directing at the disadvantages of low environmental suitability, inferior anti-interference ability and being easy to be found and destroyed in existing security product, a kind of identifiable piezoelectric security system based on piezoelectric cable is designed. The present system gathers vibration signals of different moving bodies, such as human, vehicles, animals and so on, with piezoelectric cable buried under -ground and distinguishes the different moving bodies through recognition algorithm and thus giving an alarm. As is shown in experiments, the present system has the features of good concealment and high accuracy in distinguishing moving bodies.

  12. Energy harvesting from torsions of patterned piezoelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cha, Youngsu; You, Hangil

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of energy harvesting from the torsions using a piezoelectric beam. The piezoelectric beam is partially patterned and is tested in an experimental setup to force pure torsional deformation. In particular, the beam consists of two identical piezoelectric parts attached on one side of a supporting substrate. We propose a model for the energy harvesting system through the equations for a slender composite beam with the physical properties and the electromechanical coupling equations of the piezoelectric material. The theoretical predictions are validated by the comparison with the experimental results.

  13. Controlled carrier screening in p-n NiO/GaN piezoelectric generators by an Al2O3 insertion layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johar, Muhammad Ali; Jeong, Dae Kyung; Afifi Hassan, Mostafa; Kang, Jin-Ho; Ha, Jun-Seok; Key Lee, June; Ryu, Sang-Wan

    2017-12-01

    The performance of a piezoelectric generator (PG) depends significantly on the internal screening process inside the device. As piezoelectric charges appear on both ends of the piezoelectric crystal, internal screening starts to decrease the piezoelectric bias. Therefore, the piezoelectric energy generated by external stress is not fully utilized by external circuit, which is the most challenging aspect of high-efficiency PGs. In this work, the internal screening effect of a NiO/GaN p-n PG was analyzed and controlled with an Al2O3 insertion layer. Internal screening in the p-n diode PG was categorized into free-carrier screening in neutral regions and junction screening due to charge drift across the junction. It was observed that junction screening could be significantly suppressed by inserting an Al2O3 layer and that effect was dominant in a leaky diode PG. With this implementation, the piezoelectric bias of the NiO/GaN PG was improved by a factor of ~100 for high-leakage diodes and a factor of ~1.6 for low-leakage diodes. Consequently, NiO/Al2O3/GaN PGs under a stress of 5 MPa provided a piezoelectric bias of 12.1 V and a current density of 2.25 µA cm-2. The incorporation of a highly resistive Al2O3 layer between p-NiO and n-GaN layers in NiO/GaN heterojunctions provides an efficient means of improving the piezoelectric performance by controlling the internal screening of the piezoelectric field.

  14. Energy harvesting from low frequency applications using piezoelectric materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, Huidong; Tian, Chuan; Deng, Z. Daniel, E-mail: zhiqun.deng@pnnl.gov

    2014-12-15

    In an effort to eliminate the replacement of the batteries of electronic devices that are difficult or impractical to service once deployed, harvesting energy from mechanical vibrations or impacts using piezoelectric materials has been researched over the last several decades. However, a majority of these applications have very low input frequencies. This presents a challenge for the researchers to optimize the energy output of piezoelectric energy harvesters, due to the relatively high elastic moduli of piezoelectric materials used to date. This paper reviews the current state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesting devices for low frequency (0–100 Hz) applications and themore » methods that have been developed to improve the power outputs of the piezoelectric energy harvesters. Various key aspects that contribute to the overall performance of a piezoelectric energy harvester are discussed, including geometries of the piezoelectric element, types of piezoelectric material used, techniques employed to match the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element to input frequency of the host structure, and electronic circuits specifically designed for energy harvesters.« less

  15. Ultra-flexible Piezoelectric Devices Integrated with Heart to Harvest the Biomechanical Energy

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Bingwei; Chen, Ying; Ou, Dapeng; Chen, Hang; Diao, Liwei; Zhang, Wei; Zheng, Jun; Ma, Weiguo; Sun, Lizhong; Feng, Xue

    2015-01-01

    Power supply for medical implantable devices (i.e. pacemaker) always challenges not only the surgery but also the battery technology. Here, we report a strategy for energy harvesting from the heart motion by using ultra-flexible piezoelectric device based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics that has most excellent piezoelectricity in commercial materials, without any burden or damage to hearts. Experimental swine are selected for in vivo test with different settings, i.e. opened chest, close chest and awake from anesthesia, to simulate the scenario of application in body due to their hearts similar to human. The results show the peak-to-peak voltage can reach as high as 3 V when the ultra-flexible piezoelectric device is fixed from left ventricular apex to right ventricle. This demonstrates the possibility and feasibility of fully using the biomechanical energy from heart motion in human body for sustainably driving implantable devices. PMID:26538375

  16. A 2- μ m BiCMOS Rectifier-Free AC-DC Piezoelectric Energy Harvester-Charger IC.

    PubMed

    Dongwon Kwon; Rincon-Mora, Gabriel A

    2010-12-01

    A fundamental problem that miniaturized systems, such as biomedical implants, face is limited space for storing energy, which translates to short operational life. Harvesting energy from the surrounding environment, which is virtually a boundless source at these scales, can overcome this restriction, if losses in the system are sufficiently low. To that end, the 2-μm bi-complementary metal-oxide semiconductor switched-inductor piezoelectric harvester prototype evaluated and presented in this paper eliminates the restrictions associated with a rectifier to produce and channel 30 μW from a periodic 72- μW piezoelectric source into a battery directly. In doing so, the circuit also increases the system's electrical damping force to draw more power and energy from the transducer, effectively increasing its mechanical-electrical efficiency by up to 78%. The system also harnesses up to 659 nJ from nonperiodic mechanical vibrations, which are more prevalent in the environment, with 6.1±1.5% to 8.8±6.9% of end-to-end mechanical-electrical efficiency.

  17. The theory and design of piezoelectric/pyroelectric polymer film sensors for biomedical engineering applications.

    PubMed

    Brown, L F

    1989-01-01

    The unique properties of piezoelectric/pyroelectric polymers offer many new opportunities for biomedical engineering sensor applications. Since their discovery nearly 20 years ago, the polymer films have been used for many novel switching and sensor applications. Despite the prodigious exposure from many recent publications describing piezo film applications, methods of sensor fabrication and circuit interfacing still elude most engineers. This paper is presented as a tutorial guide to applying piezo polymers to biomedical engineering applications. A review of the fundamentals of piezoelectricity/pyroelectricity in piezo polymers is first presented. Their material properties are contrasted with piezoelectric ceramic materials. Some advantages and disadvantages of the films for biomedical sensors are discussed. Specific details on the fabrication of piezo film sensors are presented. Methods are described for forming, cutting, and mounting film sensors, and making lead connections. A brief discussion of equivalent circuit models for the design and simulation of piezoelectric/pyroelectric sensors is included, as well as common circuit interface techniques. Finally, several sources are recommended for further information on a variety of biomedical sensor applications.

  18. Enhancement of power output by a new stress-applied mode on circular piezoelectric energy harvester

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shu, Fangming; Yang, Tongqing; Liu, Yaoze

    2018-04-01

    A new stress-applied mode is proposed on piezoelectric circular diaphragm energy harvester. Differing from the usual mode used in previous researches, the mass stick at the center of the diaphragm (PZT-51) is designed into an annular hollow shape. In this case, stress of the mass is applied along the edge of the copper sheet. A screw bonded with the undersurface of the diaphragm transfers force from the vibrator to the diaphragm. This device has a cylindrical shape and its volume is ˜7.9 cm3. With this new stress-applied mode, the piezoelectric energy harvester (with an optimal load of 18 kΩ, a mass of 30 g) could generate a maximum power output of ˜20.8 mW under 9.8 m.s-2 at its resonant frequency of ˜237 Hz. Meanwhile, the greater the hardness ratio between the ceramic and the copper sheet, the greater the advantages of the new structure.

  19. Extrinsic Contribution and Instability Properties in Lead-Based and Lead-Free Piezoceramics

    PubMed Central

    García, José Eduardo

    2015-01-01

    Piezoceramic materials generally exhibit a notable instability of their functional properties when they work under real external conditions. This undesirable effect, known as nonlinear behavior, is mostly associated with the extrinsic contribution to material response. In this article, the role of the ferroelectric domain walls’ motion in the nonlinear response in the most workable lead-based and lead-free piezoceramics is reviewed. Initially, the extrinsic origin of the nonlinear response is discussed in terms of the temperature dependence of material response. The influence of the crystallographic phase and of the phase boundaries on the material response are then reviewed. Subsequently, the impact of the defects created by doping in order to control the extrinsic contribution is discussed as a way of tuning material properties. Finally, some aspects related to the grain-size effect on the nonlinear response of piezoceramics are surveyed. PMID:28793681

  20. Two-colour hard X-ray free-electron laser with wide tunability.

    PubMed

    Hara, Toru; Inubushi, Yuichi; Katayama, Tetsuo; Sato, Takahiro; Tanaka, Hitoshi; Tanaka, Takashi; Togashi, Tadashi; Togawa, Kazuaki; Tono, Kensuke; Yabashi, Makina; Ishikawa, Tetsuya

    2013-01-01

    Ultrabrilliant, femtosecond X-ray pulses from X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) have promoted the investigation of exotic interactions between intense X-rays and matters, and the observation of minute targets with high spatio-temporal resolution. Although a single X-ray beam has been utilized for these experiments, the use of multiple beams with flexible and optimum beam parameters should drastically enhance the capability and potentiality of XFELs. Here we show a new light source of a two-colour double-pulse (TCDP) XFEL in hard X-rays using variable-gap undulators, which realizes a large and flexible wavelength separation of more than 30% with an ultraprecisely controlled time interval in the attosecond regime. Together with sub-10-fs pulse duration and multi-gigawatt peak powers, the TCDP scheme enables us to elucidate X-ray-induced ultrafast transitions of electronic states and structures, which will significantly contribute to the advancement of ultrafast chemistry, plasma and astronomical physics, and quantum X-ray optics.

  1. Piezoelectricity of green carp scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, H. Y.; Yen, F.; Huang, C. W.; Mei, R. B.; Chen, L.

    2017-04-01

    Piezoelectricity takes part in multiple important functions and processes in biomaterials often vital to the survival of organisms. Here, we investigate the piezoelectric properties of fish scales of green carp by directly examining their morphology at nanometer levels. Two types of regions are found to comprise the scales, a smooth one and a rough one. The smooth region is comprised of a ridge and trough pattern and the rough region characterized by a flat base with an elevated mosaic of crescents. Piezoelectricity is found on the ridges and base regions of the scales. From clear distinctions between the composition of the inner and outer surfaces of the scales, we identify the piezoelectricity to originate from the presence of hydroxyapatite which only exists on the surface of the fish scales. Our findings reveal a different mechanism of how green carp are sensitive to their surroundings and should be helpful to studies related to the electromechanical properties of marine life and the development of bio-inspired materials.

  2. Modeling NDT piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitters.

    PubMed

    San Emeterio, J L; Ramos, A; Sanz, P T; Ruíz, A; Azbaid, A

    2004-04-01

    Ultrasonic NDT applications are frequently based on the spike excitation of piezoelectric transducers by means of efficient pulsers which usually include a power switching device (e.g. SCR or MOS-FET) and some rectifier components. In this paper we present an approximate frequency domain electro-acoustic model for pulsed piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitters which, by integrating partial models of the different stages (driving electronics, tuning/matching networks and broadband piezoelectric transducer), allows the computation of the emission transfer function and output force temporal waveform. An approximate frequency domain model is used for the evaluation of the electrical driving pulse from the spike generator. Tuning circuits, interconnecting cable and mechanical impedance matching layers are modeled by means of transmission lines and the classical quadripole approach. The KLM model is used for the piezoelectric transducer. In addition, a PSPICE scheme is used for an alternative simulation of the broadband driving spike, including the accurate evaluation of non-linear driving effects. Several examples illustrate the capabilities of the specifically developed software.

  3. Coupled electromechanical response of composite beams with embedded piezoelectric sensors and actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saravanos, D. A.; Heyliger, P. R.

    1994-01-01

    Unified mechanics are developed with the capability to model both sensory and active composite laminates with embedded piezoelectric layers. A discrete-layer formulation enables analysis of both global and local electromechanical response. The mechanics include the contributions from elastic, piezoelectric, and dielectric components. The incorporation of electric potential into the state variables permits representation of general electromechanical boundary conditions. Approximate finite element solutions for the static and free-vibration analysis of beams are presented. Applications on composite beams demonstrate the capability to represent either sensory or active structures and to model the complicated stress-strain fields, the interactions between passive/active layers, interfacial phenomena between sensors and composite plies, and critical damage modes in the material. The capability to predict the dynamic characteristics under various electrical boundary conditions is also demonstrated.

  4. Polarization Stability of Amorphous Piezoelectric Polyimides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Park, C.; Ounaies, Z.; Su, J.; Smith, J. G., Jr.; Harrison, J. S.

    2000-01-01

    Amorphous polyimides containing polar functional groups have been synthesized and investigated for potential use as high temperature piezoelectric sensors. The thermal stability of the piezoelectric effect of one polyimide was evaluated as a function of various curing and poling conditions under dynamic and static thermal stimuli. First, the polymer samples were thermally cycled under strain by systematically increasing the maximum temperature from 50 C to 200 C while the piezoelectric strain coefficient was being measured. Second, the samples were isothermally aged at an elevated temperature in air, and the isothermal decay of the remanent polarization was measured at room temperature as a function of time. Both conventional and corona poling methods were evaluated. This material exhibited good thermal stability of the piezoelectric properties up to 100 C.

  5. Piezoelectric devices for generating low power

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chilibon, Irinela

    2016-12-01

    This paper reviews concepts and applications in low-power electronics and energy harvesting technologies. Various piezoelectric materials and devices for small power generators useful in renewable electricity are presented. The vibrating piezoelectric device differs from the typical electrical power source in that it has capacitive rather than inductive source impedance, and may be driven by mechanical vibrations of varying amplitude. In general, vibration energy could be converted into electrical energy using one of three techniques: electrostatic charge, magnetic fields and piezoelectric. A low power piezoelectric generator, having a PZT element was realised in order to supply small electronic elements, such as optoelectronic small devices, LEDs, electronic watches, small sensors, interferometry with lasers or Micro-electro-mechanical System (MEMS) array with multi-cantilevers.

  6. Heartbeat detection system using piezoelectric transducer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamonangan, Yosua; Purnamaningsih, Wigajatri

    2017-02-01

    This paper presents a simple piezoelectric based heartbeat detection system. The signal produced by the piezoelectric will undergo signal conditioning and then converted into digital data by Arduino Nano. Using serial communication, the data will be sent to a computer for display and further analysis. The detection of heartbeat is carried out on three locations; wrist, chest, and diaphragm. From the measurement results, it is shown that the system work best when the piezoelectric is placed on wrist.

  7. Nonlinear Constitutive Modeling of Piezoelectric Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Jia; Li, Chao; Wang, Haibo; Zhu, Zhiwen

    2017-12-01

    Nonlinear constitutive modeling of piezoelectric ceramics is discussed in this paper. Van der Pol item is introduced to explain the simple hysteretic curve. Improved nonlinear difference items are used to interpret the hysteresis phenomena of piezoelectric ceramics. The fitting effect of the model on experimental data is proved by the partial least-square regression method. The results show that this method can describe the real curve well. The results of this paper are helpful to piezoelectric ceramics constitutive modeling.

  8. Lead-Free Double-Base Propellant for the 2.75 Inch Rocket Motor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Magill, B. T.; Nauflett, G. W.; Furrow, K. W.

    2000-01-01

    The current MK 66 2.75 inch Rocket Motor double-base propellant contains the lead-based ballistic modifier LC-12-15 to achieve the desired plateau and mesa burning rate characteristics. The use of lead compounds poses a concern for the environment and for personal safety due to the metal's toxic nature when introduced into the atmosphere by propellant manufacture, rocket motor firing, and disposal. Copper beta-resorcylate (copper 2,4-di-hydroxy-benzoate) was successfully used in propellant as a simple modifier in the mid 1970's. This and other compounds have also been mixed with lead salts to obtain more beneficial ballistic results. Synthesized complexes of lead and copper compounds soon replaced the mixtures. The complexes incorporate the lead, copper lack of organic liquids, which allows for easier propellant processing. About ten years ago, the Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), initiated an effort to develop a lead-free propellant for use in missile systems. Several lead-free propellant candidate formulations were developed. About five years ago, NSWC, in conjunction with Alliant Techsystems, Radford Army Ammunition Plant, continued ballistic modifier investigations. A four component ballistic modifier system without lead for double-base propellants that provide adequate plateau and mesa burn rate characteristics was developed and patented. The ballistic modifier's system contains bismuth subsalicylate, 1.5 percent; copper salicylate, 1.0 percent, copper stannate, 0.77 percent; and carbon black, 0.1 percent. Action time and impulse data obtained through multiple static firings indicate that the new lead-free double-base propellant, while not a match for NOSIH-AA-2, will be a very suitable replacement in the 2.75 inch Rocket Motor. Accelerated aging of the double-base propellant containing the lead-free ballistic modifier showed that it had a much higher rate of stabilizer depletion than the AA-2. A comprehensive study showed that an

  9. Phase diagrams for lead-free solder alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kattner, Ursula R.

    2002-12-01

    The need for new, improved solder alloys and a better understanding of reactions during the soldering process grows steadily as the need for smaller and more reliable electronic products increases. Information obtained from phase equilibria data and thermodynamic calculations has proven to be an important tool in the design and understanding of new lead-free solder alloys. A wide range of candidate alloys can be rapidly evaluated for proper freezing ranges, susceptibility to contamination effects, and reactions with substrate materials before the expensive process of preparing and testing candidate alloys is initiated.

  10. The relative contribution of ferroelastic and ferroelectric texture to the character of a hard PZT ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Key, Thomas Stallings

    The development of ferroelastic (90°) texture in addition to ferroelectric (180°) texture is essential to maximizing the piezoelectric properties of many hard tetragonal PZTs, including Piezoetechnologies K270. Ferroelastic texture results from motion of domain walls that is dependent on an individual crystals orientation. Increases in ferroelastic texture raises the maximum net polarization that can be achieved by changes in ferroelectric texture. By studying a hard PZT poled under various temperature conditions, insight was gained into factors affecting the development of ferroelastic texture and how ferroelastic texture contributes to piezoelectric properties. Depinning proved to be the major barrier to preventing ferroelastic domain wall motion where strain based domain interactions and polar defect complexes on the domain level appear to be the dominant factors. Insight into the affect of increased domain texture on the relationship between the increasing magnitude of the remnant polarization (|Pr|) and the magnitude of the coercive field (|EC|) was gained by plotting |EC| vs. |Pr| as a function of poling time for a variety of poling temperatures. At low |Pr| values, |EC| increased rapidly as a function of increases in |Pr| regardless of the poling temperature. This relationship was characteristic of samples poled at 25 °C where increases in ferroelastic texture were largely suppressed. Because increases in polarization were still observable changes in ferroelectric texture most responsible for the polarization increase and like play a strong role in the initial |EC| vs. |Pr| relationship. As |Pr| increased beyond 5 to 8 iC/cm2, the slope of |EC| vs. |Pr| decreased where the reduction in slope increased with poling temperature. This only occurred in samples poled at elevated temperatures where ferroelastic texture was know to ultimately develop during the poling process, leading to the suggestion that the change in slope was due to increases in combined

  11. An efficient finite element with layerwise mechanics for smart piezoelectric composite and sandwich shallow shells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yasin, M. Yaqoob; Kapuria, S.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we present a new efficient four-node finite element for shallow multilayered piezoelectric shells, considering layerwise mechanics and electromechanical coupling. The laminate mechanics is based on the zigzag theory that has only seven kinematic degrees of freedom per node. The normal deformation of the piezoelectric layers under the electric field is accounted for without introducing any additional deflection variables. A consistent quadratic variation of the electric potential across the piezoelectric layers with the provision of satisfying the equipotential condition of electroded surfaces is adopted. The performance of the new element is demonstrated for the static response under mechanical and electric potential loads, and for free vibration response of smart shells under different boundary conditions. The predictions are found to be very close to the three dimensional piezoelasticity solutions for hybrid shells made of not only single-material composite substrates, but also sandwich substrates with a soft core for which the equivalent single layer (ESL) theories perform very badly.

  12. Lead-free precussion primer mixes based on metastable interstitial composite (MIC) technology

    DOEpatents

    Dixon, George P.; Martin, Joe A.; Thompson, Don

    1998-01-01

    A lead-free percussion primer composition and a percussion cup containing e composition. The lead-free percussion primer composition is comprised of a mixture of about 45 wt % aluminum powder having an outer coating of aluminum oxide and molybdenum trioxide powder or a mixture of about 50 wt % aluminum powder having an outer coating of aluminum oxide and polytetrafluoroethylene powder. The aluminum powder, molybdenum trioxide powder and polytetrafluoroethylene powder has a particle size of 0.1 .mu.m or less, more preferably a particle size of from about 200-500 angstroms.

  13. Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Solutions

    PubMed Central

    Caliò, Renato; Rongala, Udaya Bhaskar; Camboni, Domenico; Milazzo, Mario; Stefanini, Cesare; de Petris, Gianluca; Oddo, Calogero Maria

    2014-01-01

    This paper reviews the state of the art in piezoelectric energy harvesting. It presents the basics of piezoelectricity and discusses materials choice. The work places emphasis on material operating modes and device configurations, from resonant to non-resonant devices and also to rotational solutions. The reviewed literature is compared based on power density and bandwidth. Lastly, the question of power conversion is addressed by reviewing various circuit solutions. PMID:24618725

  14. Piezoelectric Film.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garrison, Steve

    1992-01-01

    Presents activities that utilize piezoelectric film to familiarize students with fundamental principles of electricity. Describes classroom projects involving chemical sensors, microbalances, microphones, switches, infrared sensors, and power generation. (MDH)

  15. Ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and leakage current properties of (K0.48Na0.48Li0.04)(Nb0.775Ta0.225)O3 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, D. Y.; Lin, D. M.; Kwok, K. W.; Chan, N. Y.; Dai, J. Y.; Li, S.; Chan, H. L. W.

    2011-01-01

    Lead-free (K0.48Na0.48Li0.04)(Nb0.775Ta0.225)O3 (KNLNT) thin films were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The film exhibited a well-defined ferroelectric hysteresis loop with a remnant polarization 2Pr of 22.6 μC/cm2 and a coercive field Ec of 10.3 kV/mm. The effective piezoelectric coefficient d33,f of the KNLNT thin films was found to be about 49 pm/V by piezoelectric force microscope. The dominant conduction mechanisms of Au/KNLNT/Pt thin film capacitor were determined to be bulk-limited space-charge-limited-current and Poole-Frenkle emission at low and high electric field strengths, respectively, within a measured temperature range of 130-370 K.

  16. Superior piezoelectric composite films: taking advantage of carbon nanomaterials.

    PubMed

    Saber, Nasser; Araby, Sherif; Meng, Qingshi; Hsu, Hung-Yao; Yan, Cheng; Azari, Sara; Lee, Sang-Heon; Xu, Yanan; Ma, Jun; Yu, Sirong

    2014-01-31

    Piezoelectric composites comprising an active phase of ferroelectric ceramic and a polymer matrix have recently found numerous sensory applications. However, it remains a major challenge to further improve their electromechanical response for advanced applications such as precision control and monitoring systems. We here investigated the incorporation of graphene platelets (GnPs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), each with various weight fractions, into PZT (lead zirconate titanate)/epoxy composites to produce three-phase nanocomposites. The nanocomposite films show markedly improved piezoelectric coefficients and electromechanical responses (50%) besides an enhancement of ~200% in stiffness. The carbon nanomaterials strengthened the impact of electric field on the PZT particles by appropriately raising the electrical conductivity of the epoxy. GnPs have been proved to be far more promising in improving the poling behavior and dynamic response than MWNTs. The superior dynamic sensitivity of GnP-reinforced composite may be caused by the GnPs' high load transfer efficiency arising from their two-dimensional geometry and good compatibility with the matrix. The reduced acoustic impedance mismatch resulting from the improved thermal conductance may also contribute to the higher sensitivity of GnP-reinforced composite. This research pointed out the potential of employing GnPs to develop highly sensitive piezoelectric composites for sensing applications.

  17. A nondisturbing electric-field sensor using piezoelectric and converse piezoelectric resonances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Yongkwan; Kim, Ilryong; Lee, Soonchil

    1997-12-01

    An electric-field sensor was developed using both piezoelectric and converse piezoelectric resonances. Composed of no metallic parts, this probe minimizes field disturbance. The most distinguishing feature of this probe is that a signal is transmitted neither electrically nor optically, but mechanically. To demonstrate the field sensing capability of this probe, we measured both the capacitive and inductive fields inside empty and plasma-filled solenoidal coils. The result shows that the capacitive field is dominant in an empty solenoid, although it is almost completely shielded by inductively excited plasma.

  18. AlN based piezoelectric micromirror.

    PubMed

    Shao, Jian; Li, Qi; Feng, Chuhuan; Li, Wei; Yu, Hongbin

    2018-03-01

    Aiming to pursue a micromirror possessing many desired characteristics, such as linear control, low power consumption, fast response, and easy fabrication, a new piezoelectric actuation strategy is presented. Different from conventional piezoelectric actuation cases, we first propose using AlN film as the active layer for actuating the micromirror. Owing to its good CMOS compatible deposition and patterning techniques, the AlN based piezoelectric micromirror has been successfully fabricated with a modified silicon-on-insulator-based microelectromechanical system (MEMS) process. At the same time, various mirror movement modes operating at high frequencies and excellent linear relationship between the movement and the control signal both have been experimentally demonstrated.

  19. Microfabricated Bulk Piezoelectric Transformers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barham, Oliver M.

    Piezoelectric voltage transformers (PTs) can be used to transform an input voltage into a different, required output voltage needed in electronic and electro- mechanical systems, among other varied uses. On the macro scale, they have been commercialized in electronics powering consumer laptop liquid crystal displays, and compete with an older, more prevalent technology, inductive electromagnetic volt- age transformers (EMTs). The present work investigates PTs on smaller size scales that are currently in the academic research sphere, with an eye towards applications including micro-robotics and other small-scale electronic and electromechanical sys- tems. PTs and EMTs are compared on the basis of power and energy density, with PTs trending towards higher values of power and energy density, comparatively, indicating their suitability for small-scale systems. Among PT topologies, bulk disc-type PTs, operating in their fundamental radial extension mode, and free-free beam PTs, operating in their fundamental length extensional mode, are good can- didates for microfabrication and are considered here. Analytical modeling based on the Extended Hamilton Method is used to predict device performance and integrate mechanical tethering as a boundary condition. This model differs from previous PT models in that the electric enthalpy is used to derive constituent equations of motion with Hamilton's Method, and therefore this approach is also more generally applica- ble to other piezoelectric systems outside of the present work. Prototype devices are microfabricated using a two mask process consisting of traditional photolithography combined with micropowder blasting, and are tested with various output electri- cal loads. 4mm diameter tethered disc PTs on the order of .002cm. 3 , two orders smaller than the bulk PT literature, had the followingperformance: a prototype with electrode area ratio (input area / output area) = 1 had peak gain of 2.3 (+/- 0.1), efficiency of 33 (+/- 0

  20. Estimation of the Viscosities of Liquid Sn-Based Binary Lead-Free Solder Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Min; Li, Jinquan

    2018-01-01

    The viscosity of a binary Sn-based lead-free solder alloy was calculated by combining the predicted model with the Miedema model. The viscosity factor was proposed and the relationship between the viscosity and surface tension was analyzed as well. The investigation result shows that the viscosity of Sn-based lead-free solders predicted from the predicted model shows excellent agreement with the reported values. The viscosity factor is determined by three physical parameters: atomic volume, electronic density, and electro-negativity. In addition, the apparent correlation between the surface tension and viscosity of the binary Sn-based Pb-free solder was obtained based on the predicted model.

  1. Ronchi test for characterization of nanofocusing optics at a hard x-ray free-electron laser.

    PubMed

    Nilsson, Daniel; Uhlén, Fredrik; Holmberg, Anders; Hertz, Hans M; Schropp, Andreas; Patommel, Jens; Hoppe, Robert; Seiboth, Frank; Meier, Vivienne; Schroer, Christian G; Galtier, Eric; Nagler, Bob; Lee, Hae Ja; Vogt, Ulrich

    2012-12-15

    We demonstrate the use of the classical Ronchi test to characterize aberrations in focusing optics at a hard x-ray free-electron laser. A grating is placed close to the focus and the interference between the different orders after the grating is observed in the far field. Any aberrations in the beam or the optics will distort the interference fringes. The method is simple to implement and can provide single-shot information about the focusing quality. We used the Ronchi test to measure the aberrations in a nanofocusing Fresnel zone plate at the Linac Coherent Light Source at 8.194 keV.

  2. Use of piezoelectric dampers for improving the feel of golf clubs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bianchini, Emanuele; Spangler, Ronald L., Jr.; Pandell, Tracy

    1999-06-01

    Several sports are based upon a tool (club, bat, stick) striking an object (ball, puck) across a field of play. Anytime two structures collide, vibration is created by the impact of the two. The impact of the objects excites the structural modes of the tool, creating a vibration that can be felt by the player, especially if the hit is not at a `sweet spot'. Vibration adversely affects both feel and performance. This paper explains how piezoelectric dampers were developed to reduce vibration and improve the feel of ball-impact sporting goods such as golf clubs. The paper describes how the dynamic characteristics of a golf club were calculated, at first in the free-free condition, and then during its operation conditions (the swing of the club, and the impact with the ball). The dynamic characteristics were used to develop a damper that addressed a specific, or multiple, modes of interest. The damper development and testing are detailed in this paper. Both objective laboratory tests and subjective player tests were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the piezoelectric dampers. The results of the tests, along with published medical data on the sensitivity of the human body, were used to draw a correlation between human feel and vibration reduction.

  3. Determination of mass density, dielectric, elastic, and piezoelectric constants of bulk GaN crystal.

    PubMed

    Soluch, Waldemar; Brzozowski, Ernest; Lysakowska, Magdalena; Sadura, Jolanta

    2011-11-01

    Mass density, dielectric, elastic, and piezoelectric constants of bulk GaN crystal were determined. Mass density was obtained from the measured ratio of mass to volume of a cuboid. The dielectric constants were determined from the measured capacitances of an interdigital transducer (IDT) deposited on a Z-cut plate and from a parallel plate capacitor fabricated from this plate. The elastic and piezoelectric constants were determined by comparing the measured and calculated SAW velocities and electromechanical coupling coefficients on the Z- and X-cut plates. The following new constants were obtained: mass density p = 5986 kg/m(3); relative dielectric constants (at constant strain S) ε(S)(11)/ε(0) = 8.6 and ε(S)(11)/ε(0) = 10.5, where ε(0) is a dielectric constant of free space; elastic constants (at constant electric field E) C(E)(11) = 349.7, C(E)(12) = 128.1, C(E)(13) = 129.4, C(E)(33) = 430.3, and C(E)(44) = 96.5 GPa; and piezoelectric constants e(33) = 0.84, e(31) = -0.47, and e(15) = -0.41 C/m(2).

  4. Piezoelectric biosensor with a ladder polymer substrate coating

    DOEpatents

    Renschler, Clifford L.; White, Christine A.; Carter, Robert M.

    1998-01-01

    A piezoelectric biosensor substrate useful for immobilizing biomolecules in an oriented manner on the surface of a piezoelectric sensor has a ladder polymer of polyacrylonitrile. To make the substrate, a solution of an organic polymer, preferably polyacrylonitrile, is applied to the surface of a piezoelectric sensor. The organic polymer is modifying by heating the polymer in a controlled fashion in air such that a ladder polymer is produced which, in turn, forms the attachment point for the biomolecules comprising the piezoelectric biosensor.

  5. Peculiar Piezoelectricity in Two-Dimensional Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sevik, Cem; Cakir, Deniz; Gulseren, Oguz; Peeters, Francois M.

    Recently, two dimensional materials with noncentrosymmetric structure have received significant interest due to their potential usage in piezoelectric applications. It has been reported by first principles calculations that relaxed-ion piezoelectric strain (d11) and stress (e11) coefficients of some transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers are comparable or even better than that of conventional bulk piezoelectric materials. Furthermore, e11 coefficient of MoS2 has been measured as 2.9 .10-10 C/m, which agrees well with the theoretical calculations. In order to deeply investigate this potential, we have performed first-principles calculations and systematically investigated the piezoelectric properties of various single layer structures: TMDCs, transition metal oxides, and hexagonal group II-VI compounds. The results clearly show that not only the Mo- and W-based TMDCs but also the other materials with Cr, Ti, Zr and Sn exhibit highly promising piezoelectric properties. Moreover, d11coefficient of some II-VI compounds have been predicted as quite larger than that of TMDCs and the bulk materials, α-quartz, w-GaN, and w-AlN which are widely used in applications.

  6. Development of piezoelectric composites for transducers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safari, A.

    1994-07-01

    For the past decade and a half, many different types of piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites have been developed intended for transducer applications. These diphasic composites are prepared from non-active polymer, such as epoxy, and piezoelectric ceramic, such as PZT, in the form of filler powders, elongated fibers, multilayer and more complex three-dimensional structures. For the last four years, most of the efforts have been given to producing large area and fine scale PZT fiber composites. In this paper, processing of piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composites with various connectivity patterns are reviewed. Development of fine scale piezoelectric composites by lost mold, injection molding and the relic method are described. Research activities of different groups for preparing large area piezocomposites for hydrophone and actuator applications are briefly reviewed. Initial development of electrostrictive ceramics and composites are also

  7. Development of in-series piezoelectric bimorph bending beam actuators for active flow control applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Wilfred K.; Clingman, Dan J.; Amitay, Michael

    2016-04-01

    Piezoelectric materials have long been used for active flow control purposes in aerospace applications to increase the effectiveness of aerodynamic surfaces on aircraft, wind turbines, and more. Piezoelectric actuators are an appropriate choice due to their low mass, small dimensions, simplistic design, and frequency response. This investigation involves the development of piezoceramic-based actuators with two bimorphs placed in series. Here, the main desired characteristic was the achievable displacement amplitude at specific driving voltages and frequencies. A parametric study was performed, in which actuators with varying dimensions were fabricated and tested. These devices were actuated with a sinusoidal waveform, resulting in an oscillating platform on which to mount active flow control devices, such as dynamic vortex generators. The main quantification method consisted of driving these devices with different voltages and frequencies to determine their free displacement, blocking force, and frequency response. It was found that resonance frequency increased with shorter and thicker actuators, while free displacement increased with longer and thinner actuators. Integration of the devices into active flow control test modules is noted. In addition to physical testing, a quasi-static analytical model was developed and compared with experimental data, which showed close correlation for both free displacement and blocking force.

  8. A very promising piezoelectric property of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin films. II: Birefringence and piezoelectricity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Audier, M., E-mail: Marc.Audier@grenoble-inp.fr; Chenevier, B.; Roussel, H.

    2011-08-15

    Birefringent and piezoelectric properties of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} ceramic thin films of monoclinic and trigonal structures were analyzed. The birefringence, observed by reflected polarized light microscopy, yields information on thin film microstructures, crystal shapes and sizes and on crystallographic orientations of grains of trigonal structure. Such an information was considered for investigating piezoelectric properties by laser Doppler vibrometry and by piezoresponse force microscopy. The vibration velocity was measured by applying an oscillating electric field between electrodes on both sides of a Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} film deposited on a Si substrate which was pasted on an isolating mica sheet. In thismore » case, it is shown that the vibration velocity results were not only from a converse piezoelectric effect, proportional to the voltage, but also from the Coulomb force, proportional to the square of the voltage. A huge piezoelectric strain effect, up to 7.6%, is found in the case of Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} of trigonal structure. From an estimation of the electrical field through the Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} thin film, this strain likely corresponds to a very high longitudinal coefficient d{sub 33} of several thousand picometers. Results obtained by piezoresponse force microscopy show that trigonal grains exhibit a polarization at zero field, which is probably due to stress caused expansion in the transition monoclinic-trigonal, presented in a previous article (part I). - Graphical abstract: Image of cross-polarized optical microscopy showing grains of trigonal structure embedded in the monoclinic phase (on the left); (a) mounting of the sample for Laser Doppler Vibrometry, sample constituted of several layers and its equivalent electrical circuit; (b) longitudinal displacements due to converse piezoelectric and Coulomb effects and corresponding piezoelectric strain-U{sub app.}. hystereses. Highlights: > A new Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5} trigonal phase is shown to be birefringent

  9. Bulk Crystal Growth of Piezoelectric PMN-PT Crystals Using Gradient Freeze Technique for Improved SHM Sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aggarwal, Mohan D.; Kochary, F.; Penn, Benjamin G.; Miller, Jim

    2007-01-01

    There has been a growing interest in recent years in lead based perovskite ferroelectric and relaxor ferroelectric solid solutions because of their excellent dielectric, piezoelectric and electrostrictive properties that make them very attractive for various sensing, actuating and structural health monitoring (SHM) applications. We are interested in the development of highly sensitive and efficient PMN-PT sensors based on large single crystals for the structural health monitoring of composite materials that may be used in future spacecrafts. Highly sensitive sensors are needed for detection of defects in these materials because they often tend to fail by distributed and interacting damage modes and much of the damage occurs beneath the top surface of the laminate and not detectable by visual inspection. Research is being carried out for various combinations of solid solutions for PMN-PT piezoelectric materials and bigger size crystals are being sought for improved sensor applications. Single crystals of this material are of interest for sensor applications because of their high piezoelectric coefficient (d33 greater than 1700 pC/N) and electromechanical coefficients (k33 greater than 0.90). For comparison, the commonly used piezoelectric ceramic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) has a d33 of about 600 pC/N and electromechanical coefficients k33 of about 0.75. At the present time, these piezoelectric relaxor crystals are grown by high temperature flux growth method and the size of these crystals are rather small (3x4x5 mm(exp 3). In the present paper, we have attempted to grow bulk single crystals of PMN-PT in a 2 inch diameter platinum crucible and successfully grown a large size crystal of 67%PMN-33%PT using the vertical gradient freeze technique with no flux. Piezoelectric properties of the grown crystals are investigated. PMN-PT plates show excellent piezoelectric properties. Samples were poled under an applied electric field of 5 kV/cm. Dielectric properties at a

  10. Applications of piezoelectric materials in oilfield services.

    PubMed

    Goujon, Nicolas; Hori, Hiroshi; Liang, Kenneth K; Sinha, Bikash K

    2012-09-01

    Piezoelectric materials are used in many applications in the oilfield services industry. Four illustrative examples are given in this paper: marine seismic survey, precision pressure measurement, sonic logging-while-drilling, and ultrasonic bore-hole imaging. In marine seismics, piezoelectric hydrophones are deployed on a massive scale in a relatively benign environment. Hence, unit cost and device reliability are major considerations. The remaining three applications take place downhole in a characteristically harsh environment with high temperature and high pressure among other factors. The number of piezoelectric devices involved is generally small but otherwise highly valued. The selection of piezoelectric materials is limited, and the devices have to be engineered to withstand the operating conditions. With the global demand for energy increasing in the foreseeable future, the search for hydrocarbon resources is reaching into deeper and hotter wells. There is, therefore, a continuing and pressing need for high-temperature and high-coupling piezoelectric materials.

  11. Piezoelectric biosensor with a ladder polymer substrate coating

    DOEpatents

    Renschler, C.L.; White, C.A.; Carter, R.M.

    1998-09-29

    A piezoelectric biosensor substrate useful for immobilizing biomolecules in an oriented manner on the surface of a piezoelectric sensor has a ladder polymer of polyacrylonitrile. To make the substrate, a solution of an organic polymer, preferably polyacrylonitrile, is applied to the surface of a piezoelectric sensor. The organic polymer is modifying by heating the polymer in a controlled fashion in air such that a ladder polymer is produced which, in turn, forms the attachment point for the biomolecules comprising the piezoelectric biosensor. 3 figs.

  12. Anand constitutive model of lead-free solder joints in 3D IC device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Liang; Liu, Zhi-quan; Ji, Yu-tong

    2016-08-01

    Anand constitutive relation of SnAgCu and SnAgCu-nano Al solders were studied under uniaxial tension, and the constitutive model was used in the finite element simulation to analyze the stress-strain response of lead-free solder joints in 3D IC devices. The results showed that the nine parameters of the Anand model can be determined from separated constitutive relations and experimental results. Based on Anand model, the finite element method was selected to calculate the stress-strain response of lead-free solder joints, it was found that in the 3D IC device the maximum stress-strain concentrated in the concern solder joints, the stress-strain of SnAgCu-nano Al solder joints was lower than that of SnAgCu solder joints, which represented that the addition of nano Al particles can enhance the reliability of lead-free solder joints in 3D IC devices.

  13. Diffuse Phase Transitions and Giant Electrostrictive Coefficients in Lead-Free Fe3+-Doped 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 Ferroelectric Ceramics.

    PubMed

    Jin, Li; Huo, Renjie; Guo, Runping; Li, Fei; Wang, Dawei; Tian, Ye; Hu, Qingyuan; Wei, Xiaoyong; He, Zhanbing; Yan, Yan; Liu, Gang

    2016-11-16

    The electrostrictive effect has some advantages over the piezoelectric effect, including temperature stability and hysteresis-free character. In the present work, we report the diffuse phase transitions and electrostrictive properties in lead-free Fe 3+ -doped 0.5Ba(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 -0.5(Ba 0.7 Ca 0.3 )TiO 3 (BZT-0.5BCT) ferroelectric ceramics. The doping concentration was set from 0.25 to 2 mol %. It is found that by introducing Fe 3+ ion into BZT-0.5BCT, the temperature corresponding to permittivity maximum T m was shifted toward lower temperature monotonically by 37 °C per mol % Fe 3+ ion. Simultaneously, the phase transitions gradually changed from classical ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transitions into diffuse phase transitions with a weak relaxor characteristic. Purely electrostrictive responses with giant electrostrictive coefficient Q 33 between 0.04 and 0.05 m 4 /C 2 are observed from 25 to 100 °C for the compositions doped with 1-2 mol % Fe 3+ ion. The Q 33 of Fe 3+ -doped BZT-0.5BCT ceramics is almost twice the Q 33 of other ferroelectric ceramics. These observations suggest that the present system can be considered as a potential lead-free material for the applications in electrostrictive area and that BT-based ferroelectric ceramics would have giant electrostrictive coefficient over other ferroelectric systems.

  14. Developing a NASA Lead-Free Policy for Electronics - Lessons Learned

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sampson, Michael J.

    2008-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is not required by United States or international law to use lead-free (Pb-free) electronic systems but international pressure in the world market is making it increasingly important that NASA have a Pb-free policy. In fact, given the international nature of the electronics market, all organizations need a Pb-free policy. This paper describes the factors which must be taken into account in formulating the policy, the tools to aid in structuring the policy and the unanticipated and difficult challenges encountered. NASA is participating in a number of forums and teams trying to develop effective approaches to controlling Pb-free adoption in high reliability systems. The activities and status of the work being done by these teams will be described. NASA also continues to gather information on metal whiskers, particularly tin based, and some recent examples will be shared. The current lack of a policy is resulting in "surprises" and the need to disposition undesirable conditions on a case-by-case basis. This is inefficient, costly and can result in sub-optimum outcomes.

  15. Piezoelectric coefficients of bulk 3R transition metal dichalcogenides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konabe, Satoru; Yamamoto, Takahiro

    2017-09-01

    The piezoelectric properties of bulk transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) with a 3R structure were investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory combined with the Berry phase treatment. Values for the elastic constant Cijkl , the piezoelectric coefficient eijk , and the piezoelectric coefficient dijk are given for bulk 3R-TMDCs (MoS2, MoSe2, WS2, and WSe2). The piezoelectric coefficients of bulk 3R-TMDCs are shown to be sufficiently large or comparable to those of conventional bulk piezoelectric materials such as α-quartz, wurtzite GaN, and wurtzite AlN.

  16. Impedance-based structural health monitoring of additive manufactured structures with embedded piezoelectric wafers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scheyer, Austin G.; Anton, Steven R.

    2017-04-01

    Embedding sensors within additive manufactured (AM) structures gives the ability to develop smart structures that are capable of monitoring the mechanical health of a system. AM provides an opportunity to embed sensors within a structure during the manufacturing process. One major limitation of AM technology is the ability to verify the geometric and material properties of fabricated structures. Over the past several years, the electromechanical impedance (EMI) method for structural health monitoring (SHM) has been proven to be an effective method for sensing damage in structurers. The EMI method utilizes the coupling between the electrical and mechanical properties of a piezoelectric transducer to detect a change in the dynamic response of a structure. A piezoelectric device, usually a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic wafer, is bonded to a structure and the electrical impedance is measured across as range of frequencies. A change in the electrical impedance is directly correlated to changes made to the mechanical condition of the structure. In this work, the EMI method is employed on piezoelectric transducers embedded inside AM parts to evaluate the feasibility of performing SHM on parts fabricated using additive manufacturing. The fused deposition modeling (FDM) method is used to print specimens for this feasibility study. The specimens are printed from polylactic acid (PLA) in the shape of a beam with an embedded monolithic piezoelectric ceramic disc. The specimen is mounted as a cantilever while impedance measurements are taken using an HP 4194A impedance analyzer. Both destructive and nondestructive damage is simulated in the specimens by adding an end mass and drilling a hole near the free end of the cantilever, respectively. The Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) method is utilized as a metric for quantifying damage to the system. In an effort to determine a threshold for RMSD, the values are calculated for the variation associated with taking multiple

  17. Thermally Stable, Piezoelectric and Pyroelectric Polymeric Substrates and Method Relating Thereto

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simpson, Joycelyn O. (Inventor); St.Clair, Terry L. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    Production of an electric voltage in response to mechanical excitation (piezoelectricity) or thermal excitation (pyroelectricity) requires a material to have a preferred dipole orientation in its structure. This preferred orientation or polarization occurs naturally in some crystals such as quartz and can be induced into some ceramic and polymeric materials by application of strong electric or mechanical fields. For some materials, a combination of mechanical and electrical orientation is necessary to completely polarize the material. The only commercially available piezoelectric polymer is poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2). However, this polymer has material and process limitations which prohibit its use in numerous device applications where thermal stability is a requirement. By the present invention, thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrates were prepared from polymers having a softening temperature greater than 1000C. A metal electrode material is deposited onto the polymer substrate and several electrical leads are attached to it. The polymer substrate is heated in a low dielectric medium to enhance molecular mobility of the polymer chains. A voltage is then applied to the polymer substrate inducing polarization. The voltage is then maintained while the polymer substrate is cooled 'freezing in' the molecular orientation. The novelty of the invention resides in the process of preparing the piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate. The nonobviousness of the invention is found in heating the polymeric substrate in a low dielectric medium while applying a voltage.

  18. How to Identify Lead Free Certification Marks for Drinking Water System & Plumbing Products

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act went into effect on January 4, 2014. The Act has reduced the lead content allowed in water system and plumbing products by changing the definition of lead free in Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) from not more than 8% ...

  19. Electric Field-Induced Large Strain in Ni/Sb-co Doped (Bi0.5Na0.5) TiO3-Based Lead-Free Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Liangliang; Hao, Jigong; Xu, Zhijun; Li, Wei; Chu, Ruiqing

    2018-02-01

    Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.935Ba0.065Ti1- x (Ni0.5Sb0.5) x O3 (BNBT6.5- xNS) have been fabricated using conventional solid sintering technique. The effect of (Ni, Sb) doping on the phase structure and electrical properties of BNBT6.5 ceramics were systematically investigated. Results show that the addition of (Ni, Sb) destroyed the ferroelectric long-range order of BNBT6.5 and shifted the ferroelectric-relaxor transition temperature ( T F-R) down to room temperature. Thus, this process induced an ergodic relaxor phase at zero field in samples with x = 0.005. Under the electric field, the ergodic relaxor phase could reversibly transform to ferroelectric phase, which promotes the strain response with peak value of 0.38% (at 80 kV/cm, corresponding to d 33 * = 479 pm/V) at x = 0.005. Temperature-dependent measurements of both polarization and strain confirmed that the large strain originated from a reversible field-induced ergodic relaxor to ferroelectric phase transformation. The proposed material exhibits potential for nonlinear actuators.

  20. Development of High Performance Piezoelectric Polyimides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simpson, Joycelyn O.; St.Clair, Terry L.; Welch, Sharon S.

    1996-01-01

    In this work a series of polyimides are investigated which exhibit a strong piezoelectric response and polarization stability at temperatures in excess of 100 C. This work was motivated by the need to develop piezoelectric sensors suitable for use in high temperature aerospace applications.

  1. Measurements of Generated Energy/Electrical Quantities from Locomotion Activities Using Piezoelectric Wearable Sensors for Body Motion Energy Harvesting

    PubMed Central

    Proto, Antonino; Penhaker, Marek; Bibbo, Daniele; Vala, David; Conforto, Silvia; Schmid, Maurizio

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, two different piezoelectric transducers—a ceramic piezoelectric, lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and a polymeric piezoelectric, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)—were compared in terms of energy that could be harvested during locomotion activities. The transducers were placed into a tight suit in proximity of the main body joints. Initial testing was performed by placing the transducers on the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle; then, five locomotion activities—walking, walking up and down stairs, jogging and running—were chosen for the tests. The values of the power output measured during the five activities were in the range 6 µW–74 µW using both transducers for each joint. PMID:27077867

  2. Piezoelectric Motors and Transformers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uchino, K.

    Piezoelectric ceramics forms a new field between electronic and structural ceramics [1-4]. Application fields are classified into three categories: positioners, motors, and vibration suppressors. From the market research result for 80 Japanese component industries in 1992, tiny motors in the range of 5-8 mm are required in large numbers for office and portable equipment; the conventional electromagnetic (EM) motors are rather difficult to produce in this size with sufficient energy efficiency, while Silicon MEMS actuators are too small to be used in practice. Piezoelectric ultrasonic motors whose efficiency is insensitive to size are superior in the millimeter motor area. The manufacturing precision of optical instruments such as lasers and cameras, and the positioning accuracy for fabricating semiconductor chips are of the order of 0.1μm which is much smaller than the backlash of the EM motors. Vibration suppression in space structures and military vehicles also require compact but mighty piezoelectric actuators.

  3. Comparison of home lead dust reduction techniques on hard surfaces: the New Jersey assessment of cleaning techniques trial.

    PubMed Central

    Rich, David Q; Rhoads, George G; Yiin, Lih-Ming; Zhang, Junfeng; Bai, Zhipeng; Adgate, John L; Ashley, Peter J; Lioy, Paul J

    2002-01-01

    High efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) vacuums, which collect particles > 0.3 micro m, and trisodium phosphate (TSP), a detergent claimed to selectively remove lead, have been included in the HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead Based Paint Hazards in Housing without systematic validation of their effectiveness. At the time the study was initiated, both HEPA vacuums and TSP were relatively expensive, they were not readily found in urban retail centers, and there were environmental concerns about the use and disposal of high-phosphate detergents. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in urban high-risk homes in northern New Jersey to determine whether a more readily available and less expensive low-phosphate, non-TSP detergent and non-HEPA vacuum could perform as well as TSP and a HEPA vacuum in a cleaning protocol. Homes were randomized to one of three cleaning methods: TSP/HEPA vacuum, TSP/non-HEPA vacuum, or non-TSP/non-HEPA vacuum. Change in log-transformed lead loading was used in mixed models to compare the efficacy of the three cleaning techniques separately for uncarpeted floors, window sills, and window troughs. After we adjusted for baseline lead loading, the non-HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on hard floors [19%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3-38%], but the HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on window sills (22%; 95% CI, 11-32%) and larger reductions on window troughs (16%; 95% CI, -4 to 33%). The non-TSP produced larger reductions on window troughs (21%; 95% CI, -2 to 50%), but TSP produced larger reductions on hard floors (5%; 95% CI, -12 to 19%) and window sills (8%; 95% CI, -5 to 20%). TSP/HEPA produced larger reductions on window sills (28%; 95% CI, 18-37%) and larger reductions on window troughs (2%; 95% CI, -24 to 23%), whereas the non-TSP/non-HEPA method produced larger reductions on hard floors (13%; 95% CI, -5 to 34%). Because neither vacuum nor detergent produced consistent results across surface

  4. Comparison of home lead dust reduction techniques on hard surfaces: the New Jersey assessment of cleaning techniques trial.

    PubMed

    Rich, David Q; Rhoads, George G; Yiin, Lih-Ming; Zhang, Junfeng; Bai, Zhipeng; Adgate, John L; Ashley, Peter J; Lioy, Paul J

    2002-09-01

    High efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) vacuums, which collect particles > 0.3 micro m, and trisodium phosphate (TSP), a detergent claimed to selectively remove lead, have been included in the HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead Based Paint Hazards in Housing without systematic validation of their effectiveness. At the time the study was initiated, both HEPA vacuums and TSP were relatively expensive, they were not readily found in urban retail centers, and there were environmental concerns about the use and disposal of high-phosphate detergents. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted in urban high-risk homes in northern New Jersey to determine whether a more readily available and less expensive low-phosphate, non-TSP detergent and non-HEPA vacuum could perform as well as TSP and a HEPA vacuum in a cleaning protocol. Homes were randomized to one of three cleaning methods: TSP/HEPA vacuum, TSP/non-HEPA vacuum, or non-TSP/non-HEPA vacuum. Change in log-transformed lead loading was used in mixed models to compare the efficacy of the three cleaning techniques separately for uncarpeted floors, window sills, and window troughs. After we adjusted for baseline lead loading, the non-HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on hard floors [19%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3-38%], but the HEPA vacuum produced larger reductions on window sills (22%; 95% CI, 11-32%) and larger reductions on window troughs (16%; 95% CI, -4 to 33%). The non-TSP produced larger reductions on window troughs (21%; 95% CI, -2 to 50%), but TSP produced larger reductions on hard floors (5%; 95% CI, -12 to 19%) and window sills (8%; 95% CI, -5 to 20%). TSP/HEPA produced larger reductions on window sills (28%; 95% CI, 18-37%) and larger reductions on window troughs (2%; 95% CI, -24 to 23%), whereas the non-TSP/non-HEPA method produced larger reductions on hard floors (13%; 95% CI, -5 to 34%). Because neither vacuum nor detergent produced consistent results across surface

  5. Multilayer modal actuator-based piezoelectric transformers.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yao-Tien; Wu, Wen-Jong; Wang, Yen-Chieh; Lee, Chih-Kung

    2007-02-01

    An innovative, multilayer piezoelectric transformer equipped with a full modal filtering input electrode is reported herein. This modal-shaped electrode, based on the orthogonal property of structural vibration modes, is characterized by full modal filtering to ensure that only the desired vibration mode is excited during operation. The newly developed piezoelectric transformer is comprised of three layers: a multilayered input layer, an insulation layer, and a single output layer. The electrode shape of the input layer is derived from its structural vibration modal shape, which takes advantage of the orthogonal property of the vibration modes to achieve a full modal filtering effect. The insulation layer possesses two functions: first, to couple the mechanical vibration energy between the input and output, and second, to provide electrical insulation between the two layers. To meet the two functions, a low temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) was used to provide the high mechanical rigidity and high electrical insulation. It can be shown that this newly developed piezoelectric transformer has the advantage of possessing a more efficient energy transfer and a wider optimal working frequency range when compared to traditional piezoelectric transformers. A multilayer piezoelectric, transformer-based inverter applicable for use in LCD monitors or portable displays is presented as well.

  6. Cylindrical Piezoelectric Fiber Composite Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allison, Sidney G.; Shams, Qamar A.; Fox, Robert L.

    2008-01-01

    The use of piezoelectric devices has become widespread since Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered the piezoelectric effect in 1880. Examples of current applications of piezoelectric devices include ultrasonic transducers, micro-positioning devices, buzzers, strain sensors, and clocks. The invention of such lightweight, relatively inexpensive piezoceramic-fiber-composite actuators as macro fiber composite (MFC) actuators has made it possible to obtain strains and displacements greater than those that could be generated by prior actuators based on monolithic piezoceramic sheet materials. MFC actuators are flat, flexible actuators designed for bonding to structures to apply or detect strains. Bonding multiple layers of MFC actuators together could increase force capability, but not strain or displacement capability. Cylindrical piezoelectric fiber composite (CPFC) actuators have been invented as alternatives to MFC actuators for applications in which greater forces and/or strains or displacements may be required. In essence, a CPFC actuator is an MFC or other piezoceramic fiber composite actuator fabricated in a cylindrical instead of its conventional flat shape. Cylindrical is used here in the general sense, encompassing shapes that can have circular, elliptical, rectangular or other cross-sectional shapes in the planes perpendicular to their longitudinal axes.

  7. Piezoelectric Nanoparticle-Polymer Composite Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCall, William Ray

    Herein we demonstrate that efficient piezoelectric nanoparticle-polymer composite materials can be synthesized and fabricated into complex microstructures using sugar-templating methods or optical printing techniques. Stretchable foams with excellent tunable piezoelectric properties are created by incorporating sugar grains directly into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixtures containing barium titanate (BaTiO3 -- BTO) nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), followed by removal of the sugar after polymer curing. Porosities and elasticity are tuned by simply adjusting the sugar/polymer mass ratio and the electrical performance of the foams showed a direct relationship between porosity and the piezoelectric outputs. User defined 2D and 3D optically printed piezoelectric microstructures are also fabricated by incorporating BTO nanoparticles into photoliable polymer solutions such as polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and exposing to digital optical masks that can be dynamically altered. Mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of the optically printed composite is enhanced by chemically altering the surface of the BTO nanoparticles with acrylate groups which form direct covalent linkages with the polymer matrix under light exposure. Both of these novel materials should find exciting uses in a variety of applications including energy scavenging platforms, nano- and microelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS), sensors, and acoustic actuators.

  8. Piezoelectric films for high frequency ultrasonic transducers in biomedical applications

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Qifa; Lau, Sienting; Wu, Dawei; Shung, K. Kirk

    2011-01-01

    Piezoelectric films have recently attracted considerable attention in the development of various sensor and actuator devices such as nonvolatile memories, tunable microwave circuits and ultrasound transducers. In this paper, an overview of the state of art in piezoelectric films for high frequency transducer applications is presented. Firstly, the basic principles of piezoelectric materials and design considerations for ultrasound transducers will be introduced. Following the review, the current status of the piezoelectric films and recent progress in the development of high frequency ultrasonic transducers will be discussed. Then details for preparation and structure of the materials derived from piezoelectric thick film technologies will be described. Both chemical and physical methods are included in the discussion, namely, the sol–gel approach, aerosol technology and hydrothermal method. The electric and piezoelectric properties of the piezoelectric films, which are very important for transducer applications, such as permittivity and electromechanical coupling factor, are also addressed. Finally, the recent developments in the high frequency transducers and arrays with piezoelectric ZnO and PZT thick film using MEMS technology are presented. In addition, current problems and further direction of the piezoelectric films for very high frequency ultrasound application (up to GHz) are also discussed. PMID:21720451

  9. Piezoelectric films for high frequency ultrasonic transducers in biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Qifa; Lau, Sienting; Wu, Dawei; Shung, K Kirk

    2011-02-01

    Piezoelectric films have recently attracted considerable attention in the development of various sensor and actuator devices such as nonvolatile memories, tunable microwave circuits and ultrasound transducers. In this paper, an overview of the state of art in piezoelectric films for high frequency transducer applications is presented. Firstly, the basic principles of piezoelectric materials and design considerations for ultrasound transducers will be introduced. Following the review, the current status of the piezoelectric films and recent progress in the development of high frequency ultrasonic transducers will be discussed. Then details for preparation and structure of the materials derived from piezoelectric thick film technologies will be described. Both chemical and physical methods are included in the discussion, namely, the sol-gel approach, aerosol technology and hydrothermal method. The electric and piezoelectric properties of the piezoelectric films, which are very important for transducer applications, such as permittivity and electromechanical coupling factor, are also addressed. Finally, the recent developments in the high frequency transducers and arrays with piezoelectric ZnO and PZT thick film using MEMS technology are presented. In addition, current problems and further direction of the piezoelectric films for very high frequency ultrasound application (up to GHz) are also discussed.

  10. High-power, multioutput piezoelectric transformers operating at the thickness-shear vibration mode.

    PubMed

    Du, Jinlong; Hu, Junhui; Tseng, King Jet

    2004-05-01

    In this study, a piezoelectric transformer operating at the thickness shear vibration mode and with dual or triple outputs is proposed. It consists of a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic plate with a high mechanical quality factor Qm and a size of 120 x 20 x 4 mm3. The PZT ceramic plate is poled along the width direction. The electrodes of input and output parts are on the top and bottom surfaces of the ceramic plate and separated by narrow gaps. A new construction of support and lead wire connection is used for the transformer. At a temperature rise less than 20 degrees C and efficiency of 90%, the piezoelectric transformer with dual outputs has a maximum total output power of 169.8 W, with a power of 129.5 W in one output and 40.3 W in another. The one with triple outputs has a maximum total output power of 163.1 W, with a power of 36.9 W in the first output, 13.0 W in the second output and 113.2 W in the third output. The maximum efficiency of the piezoelectric transformer with dual outputs and triple outputs is 98% and 95.7%, respectively. The voltage gains of the transformers are less than one, and different outputs have different gains. Also, there is a driving frequency range in which the load resistance of one output has little effect on the voltage gain of another output.

  11. Traveling wave ultrasonic motor: coupling effects in free stator.

    PubMed

    Frayssignes, H; Briot, R

    2003-03-01

    Generally a stator of traveling wave ultrasonic motor (TWUM) consists of piezoelectric transducers (annular plate or rods) coupled by the way of a metallic ring. These transducers divided into halves are excited independently by two electrical signals with different phases of about 90 degrees. So an elastic traveling wave propagates along the circumference of the ring and a rotor pressed on this vibrating surface is then driven by the stator via contact forces. Many difficulties appear in developing TWUM because the contact between the stator and the rotor via a frictional material is very important. However that may be, the first stage consists in obtaining a vibrating stator with optimum characteristics with two symmetrical phases. The aim of this paper is to discuss some coupling effects in a free stator through an enhanced equivalent circuit model. A simple experimental method based on impedance measurements is performed to estimate the coupling characteristics at a low driving voltage. This paper reports results obtained with the free stator of the well known piezoelectric ultrasonic motor "USR60" by Shinsei Co. Ltd. Since the stator behaves as an elastic body, interactions between the two electrical inputs might be described by the introduction of a coupling oscillator. The comparison of experimental and theoretical results leads to validate the new equivalent circuit of the free stator. The presence of coupling impedance could imply a change of electrical supply condition to optimize the TWUM efficiency. The effects of unbalanced features for each electrical input and the applicability of the proposed model to actual operating condition are discussed in the paper. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

  12. Topology optimized design of functionally graded piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubio, Wilfredo Montealegre; Buiochi, Flávio; Adamowski, Julio Cezar; Silva, Emílio C. N.

    2010-01-01

    This work presents a new approach to systematically design piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers based on Topology Optimization Method (TOM) and Functionally Graded Material (FGM) concepts. The main goal is to find the optimal material distribution of Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducers, to achieve the following requirements: (i) the transducer must be designed to have a multi-modal or uni-modal frequency response, which defines the kind of generated acoustic wave, either short pulse or continuous wave, respectively; (ii) the transducer is required to oscillate in a thickness extensional mode or piston-like mode, aiming at acoustic wave generation applications. Two kinds of piezoelectric materials are mixed for producing the FGM transducer. Material type 1 represents a PZT-5A piezoelectric ceramic and material type 2 represents a PZT-5H piezoelectric ceramic. To illustrate the proposed method, two Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducers are designed. The TOM has shown to be a useful tool for designing Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Transducers with uni-modal or multi-modal dynamic behavior.

  13. Nanogenerator comprising piezoelectric semiconducting nanostructures and Schottky conductive contacts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Zhong L. (Inventor); Zhou, Jun (Inventor); Wang, Xudong (Inventor); He, Jr-Hau (Inventor); Song, Jinhui (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    A semiconducting device includes a substrate, a piezoelectric wire, a structure, a first electrode and a second electrode. The piezoelectric wire has a first end and an opposite second end and is disposed on the substrate. The structure causes the piezoelectric wire to bend in a predetermined manner between the first end and the second end so that the piezoelectric wire enters a first semiconducting state. The first electrode is coupled to the first end and the second electrode is coupled to the second end so that when the piezoelectric wire is in the first semiconducting state, an electrical characteristic will be exhibited between the first electrode and the second electrode.

  14. Lead-Free Perovskite Nanowire-Employed Piezopolymer for Highly Efficient Flexible Nanocomposite Energy Harvester.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Chang Kyu; Baek, Changyeon; Kingon, Angus I; Park, Kwi-Il; Kim, Seung-Hyun

    2018-05-01

    In the past two decades, mechanical energy harvesting technologies have been developed in various ways to support or power small-scale electronics. Nevertheless, the strategy for enhancing current and charge performance of flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters using a simple and cost-effective process is still a challenging issue. Herein, a 1D-3D (1-3) fully piezoelectric nanocomposite is developed using perovskite BaTiO 3 (BT) nanowire (NW)-employed poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) for a high-performance hybrid nanocomposite generator (hNCG) device. The harvested output of the flexible hNCG reaches up to ≈14 V and ≈4 µA, which is higher than the current levels of even previous piezoceramic film-based flexible energy harvesters. Finite element analysis method simulations study that the outstanding performance of hNCG devices attributes to not only the piezoelectric synergy of well-controlled BT NWs and within P(VDF-TrFE) matrix, but also the effective stress transferability of piezopolymer. As a proof of concept, the flexible hNCG is directly attached to a hand to scavenge energy using a human motion in various biomechanical frequencies for self-powered wearable patch device applications. This research can pave the way for a new approach to high-performance wearable and biocompatible self-sufficient electronics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Direct Piezoelectricity of Soft Composite Electrospun Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varga, Michael; Morvan, Jason; Diorio, Nick; Buyuktanir, Ebru; Harden, John; West, John; Jakli, Antal

    2013-03-01

    Recently soft fiber mats electrospun from solutions of Barium Titanate (BT) ferroelectric ceramics particles and poly lactic acid (PLA) were found to have large (d33 1nm/V) converse piezoelectric signals offering a myriad of applications ranging from active implants to smart textiles. Here we report direct piezoelectric measurements (electric signals due to mechanical stress) of the BT/PLA composite fiber mats at various BT concentrations. A testing apparatus was designed and constructed solely for these measurements involving AC stresses provided by a speaker in 10Hz-10kHz frequency range. The piezoelectric constant d33 ~1nC/N was found to be in agreement with the prior converse piezoelectric measurements. The largest signals were obtained with 6% BT/PLA composites, probably because the BT particles at higher concentrations could not be dispersed homogeneously. Importantly the direct piezoelectric signal is large enough to power a small LCD by simply pressing a 0.2mm thick 2 cm2 area mat by a finger. We expect to use these mats in active Braille cells and in liquid crystal writing tablets.

  16. Piezoelectric ribbons printed onto rubber for flexible energy conversion.

    PubMed

    Qi, Yi; Jafferis, Noah T; Lyons, Kenneth; Lee, Christine M; Ahmad, Habib; McAlpine, Michael C

    2010-02-10

    The development of a method for integrating highly efficient energy conversion materials onto stretchable, biocompatible rubbers could yield breakthroughs in implantable or wearable energy harvesting systems. Being electromechanically coupled, piezoelectric crystals represent a particularly interesting subset of smart materials that function as sensors/actuators, bioMEMS devices, and energy converters. Yet, the crystallization of these materials generally requires high temperatures for maximally efficient performance, rendering them incompatible with temperature-sensitive plastics and rubbers. Here, we overcome these limitations by presenting a scalable and parallel process for transferring crystalline piezoelectric nanothick ribbons of lead zirconate titanate from host substrates onto flexible rubbers over macroscopic areas. Fundamental characterization of the ribbons by piezo-force microscopy indicates that their electromechanical energy conversion metrics are among the highest reported on a flexible medium. The excellent performance of the piezo-ribbon assemblies coupled with stretchable, biocompatible rubber may enable a host of exciting avenues in fundamental research and novel applications.

  17. Figure of merit comparison of PP-based electret and PVDF-based piezoelectric polymer energy harvesters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mrlík, M.; Leadenham, S.; AlMaadeed, M. A.; Erturk, A.

    2016-04-01

    The harvesting of mechanical strain and kinetic energy has received great attention over the past two decades in order to power wireless electronic components such as those used in passive and active monitoring applications. Piezoelectric ceramics, such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), constitute the most commonly used electromechanical interface in vibration energy harvesters. However, there are applications in which piezoelectric ceramics cannot be used due to their low allowable curvature and brittle nature. Soft polymer PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is arguably the most popular non-ceramic soft piezoelectric energy harvester material for such scenarios. Another type of polymer that has received less attention is PP (polypropylene) for electret-based energy harvesting using the thickness mode (33- mode). This work presents figure of merit comparison of PP versus PVDF for off-resonant energy harvesting in thickness mode operation, revealing substantial advantage of PP over PVDF. For thickness mode energy harvesting scenarios (e.g. dynamic compression) at reasonable ambient vibration frequencies, the figure of merit for the maximum power output is proportional to the square of the effective piezoelectric strain constant divided by the effective permittivity constant. Under optimal conditions and for the same volume, it is shown that PP can generate more than two orders of magnitude larger electrical power as compared to PVDF due to the larger effective piezoelectric strain constant and lower permittivity of the former.

  18. Piezoelectricity in two dimensions: Graphene vs. molybdenum disulfide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Xiaoxue; Hui, Fei; Knobloch, Theresia; Wang, Bingru; Fan, Zhongchao; Grasser, Tibor; Jing, Xu; Shi, Yuanyuan; Lanza, Mario

    2017-08-01

    The synthesis of piezoelectric two-dimensional (2D) materials is very attractive for implementing advanced energy harvesters and transducers, as these materials provide enormously large areas for the exploitation of the piezoelectric effect. Among all 2D materials, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has shown the largest piezoelectric activity. However, all research papers in this field studied just a single material, and this may raise concerns because different setups could provide different values depending on experimental parameters (e.g., probes used and areas analyzed). By using conductive atomic force microscopy, here we in situ demonstrate that the piezoelectric currents generated in MoS2 are gigantic (65 mA/cm2), while the same experiments in graphene just showed noise currents. These results provide the most reliable comparison yet reported on the piezoelectric effect in graphene and MoS2.

  19. Active Piezoelectric Vibration Control of Subscale Composite Fan Blades

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duffy, Kirsten P.; Choi, Benjamin B.; Provenza, Andrew J.; Min, James B.; Kray, Nicholas

    2012-01-01

    As part of the Fundamental Aeronautics program, researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) are investigating new technologies supporting the development of lighter, quieter, and more efficient fans for turbomachinery applications. High performance fan blades designed to achieve such goals will be subjected to higher levels of aerodynamic excitations which could lead to more serious and complex vibration problems. Piezoelectric materials have been proposed as a means of decreasing engine blade vibration either through a passive damping scheme, or as part of an active vibration control system. For polymer matrix fiber composite blades, the piezoelectric elements could be embedded within the blade material, protecting the brittle piezoceramic material from the airflow and from debris. To investigate this idea, spin testing was performed on two General Electric Aviation (GE) subscale composite fan blades in the NASA GRC Dynamic Spin Rig Facility. The first bending mode (1B) was targeted for vibration control. Because these subscale blades are very thin, the piezoelectric material was surface-mounted on the blades. Three thin piezoelectric patches were applied to each blade two actuator patches and one small sensor patch. These flexible macro-fiber-composite patches were placed in a location of high resonant strain for the 1B mode. The blades were tested up to 5000 rpm, with patches used as sensors, as excitation for the blade, and as part of open- and closed-loop vibration control. Results show that with a single actuator patch, active vibration control causes the damping ratio to increase from a baseline of 0.3% critical damping to about 1.0% damping at 0 RPM. As the rotor speed approaches 5000 RPM, the actively controlled blade damping ratio decreases to about 0.5% damping. This occurs primarily because of centrifugal blade stiffening, and can be observed by the decrease in the generalized electromechanical coupling with rotor speed.

  20. Assessing multi-tissue lead burdens in free-flying obligate scavengers in eastern North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Behmke, Shannon; Mazik, Patricia; Katzner, Todd

    2017-01-01

    Avian scavengers are regularly exposed to anthropogenic lead. Although many studies evaluate lead concentrations of either blood or tissues of lead-poisoned birds, there is comparatively less research on lead burdens of free-flying, apparently healthy individuals and populations. Here, we address this lack of information by assessing lead levels of multiple tissues (femur, liver, kidney, breast muscle, thigh muscle) in free-flying black vultures (n = 98) and turkey vultures (n = 10) collected outside the hunting season. We found only one individual had a soft tissue lead concentration indicative of acute exposure (6.17 mg/kg wet weight in the liver), while the other 107 vultures showed consistent low-level lead exposure throughout the soft tissues. All vultures, however, had femur lead concentrations indicative of chronic lead exposure (black vultures x¯¯¯=x¯= 31.80 ± 20.42 mg/kg (±SD); turkey vultures 23.21 ± 18.77 mg/kg). Lead levels were similar in all tissues in both vulture species (in each case, p > 0.05) and were generally highest in the femur, intermediate in the kidney and liver, and lowest in the breast and thigh muscle. Despite the consistency of these patterns, there were few strong correlations between lead levels in different tissues within each species, and those correlations that did exist were not consistent between species. Because these vultures were free flying and apparently healthy, the organism-wide lead distributions and between-species trends we report here provide important insight into the sublethal lead burdens that black vultures and turkey vultures commonly carry. Furthermore, these data offer a framework to better interpret and contextualize lead exposure data collected from these and other species.

  1. Assessing multi-tissue lead burdens in free-flying obligate scavengers in eastern North America.

    PubMed

    Behmke, Shannon; Mazik, Patricia; Katzner, Todd

    2017-04-01

    Avian scavengers are regularly exposed to anthropogenic lead. Although many studies evaluate lead concentrations of either blood or tissues of lead-poisoned birds, there is comparatively less research on lead burdens of free-flying, apparently healthy individuals and populations. Here, we address this lack of information by assessing lead levels of multiple tissues (femur, liver, kidney, breast muscle, thigh muscle) in free-flying black vultures (n = 98) and turkey vultures (n = 10) collected outside the hunting season. We found only one individual had a soft tissue lead concentration indicative of acute exposure (6.17 mg/kg wet weight in the liver), while the other 107 vultures showed consistent low-level lead exposure throughout the soft tissues. All vultures, however, had femur lead concentrations indicative of chronic lead exposure (black vultures [Formula: see text]31.80 ± 20.42 mg/kg (±SD); turkey vultures 23.21 ± 18.77 mg/kg). Lead levels were similar in all tissues in both vulture species (in each case, p > 0.05) and were generally highest in the femur, intermediate in the kidney and liver, and lowest in the breast and thigh muscle. Despite the consistency of these patterns, there were few strong correlations between lead levels in different tissues within each species, and those correlations that did exist were not consistent between species. Because these vultures were free flying and apparently healthy, the organism-wide lead distributions and between-species trends we report here provide important insight into the sublethal lead burdens that black vultures and turkey vultures commonly carry. Furthermore, these data offer a framework to better interpret and contextualize lead exposure data collected from these and other species.

  2. Piezoelectric transducer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Conragan, J.; Muller, R. S.

    1970-01-01

    Transducer consists of a hybrid thin film and a piezoelectric transistor that acts as a stress-sensitive device with built-in gain. It provides a stress/strain transducer that incorporates a signal amplification stage and sensor in a single package.

  3. Power enhancement of piezoelectric transformers by adding heat transfer equipment.

    PubMed

    Su, Yu-Hao; Liu, Yuan-Ping; Vasic, Dejan; Wu, Wen-Jong; Costa, François; Lee, Chih-Kung

    2012-10-01

    It is known that piezoelectric transformers have several inherent advantages compared with conventional electromagnetic transformers. However, the maximum power capacity of piezoelectric transformers is not as large as electromagnetic transformers in practice, especially in the case of high output current. The theoretical power density of piezoelectric transformers calculated by stress boundary can reach 330 W/cm(3), but no piezoelectric transformer has ever reached such a high power density in practice. The power density of piezoelectric transformers is limited to 33 W/cm(3) in practical applications. The underlying reason is that the maximum passing current of the piezoelectric material (mechanical current) is limited by the temperature rise caused by heat generation. To increase this current and the power capacity, we proposed to add a thermal pad to the piezoelectric transformer to dissipate heat. The experimental results showed that the proposed techniques can increase by 3 times the output current of the piezoelectric transformer. A theoretical-phenomenological model which explains the relationship between vibration velocity and generated heat is also established to verify the experimental results.

  4. Additional Drive Circuitry for Piezoelectric Screw Motors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smythe, Robert; Palmer, Dean; Gursel, Yekta; Reder, Leonard; Savedra, Raymond

    2004-01-01

    Modules of additional drive circuitry have been developed to enhance the functionality of a family of commercially available positioning motors (Picomotor . or equivalent) that provide linear motion controllable, in principle, to within increments .30 nm. A motor of this type includes a piezoelectric actuator that turns a screw. Unlike traditional piezoelectrically actuated mechanisms, a motor of this type does not rely on the piezoelectric transducer to hold position: the screw does not turn except when the drive signal is applied to the actuator.

  5. Analysis and Testing of Plates with Piezoelectric Sensors and Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bevan, Jeffrey S.

    1998-01-01

    Piezoelectric material inherently possesses coupling between electrostatics and structural dynamics. Utilizing linear piezoelectric theory results in an intrinsically coupled pair of piezoelectric constitutive equations. One equation describes the direct piezoelectric effect where strains produce an electric field and the other describes the converse effect where an applied electrical field produces strain. The purpose of this study is to compare finite element analysis and experiments of a thin plate with bonded piezoelectric material. Since an isotropic plate in combination with a thin piezoelectric layer constitutes a special case of a laminated composite, the classical laminated plate theory is used in the formulation to accommodated generic laminated composite panels with multiple bonded and embedded piezoelectric layers. Additionally, the von Karman large deflection plate theory is incorporated. The formulation results in laminate constitutive equations that are amiable to the inclusion of the piezoelectric constitutive equations yielding in a fully electro-mechanically coupled composite laminate. Using the finite element formulation, the governing differential equations of motion of a composite laminate with embedded piezoelectric layers are derived. The finite element model not only considers structural degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) but an additional electrical d.o.f. for each piezoelectric layer. Comparison between experiment and numerical prediction is performed by first treating the piezoelectric as a sensor and then again treating it as an actuator. To assess the piezoelectric layer as a sensor, various uniformly distributed pressure loads were simulated in the analysis and the corresponding generated voltages were calculated using both linear and nonlinear finite element analyses. Experiments were carried out by applying the same uniformly distributed loads and measuring the resulting generated voltages and corresponding maximum plate deflections. It is

  6. Contactless ultrasonic energy transfer for wireless systems: acoustic-piezoelectric structure interaction modeling and performance enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shahab, S.; Erturk, A.

    2014-12-01

    There are several applications of wireless electronic components with little or no ambient energy available to harvest, yet wireless battery charging for such systems is still of great interest. Example applications range from biomedical implants to sensors located in hazardous environments. Energy transfer based on the propagation of acoustic waves at ultrasonic frequencies is a recently explored alternative that offers increased transmitter-receiver distance, reduced loss and the elimination of electromagnetic fields. As this research area receives growing attention, there is an increased need for fully coupled model development to quantify the energy transfer characteristics, with a focus on the transmitter, receiver, medium, geometric and material parameters. We present multiphysics modeling and case studies of the contactless ultrasonic energy transfer for wireless electronic components submerged in fluid. The source is a pulsating sphere, and the receiver is a piezoelectric bar operating in the 33-mode of piezoelectricity with a fundamental resonance frequency above the audible frequency range. The goal is to quantify the electrical power delivered to the load (connected to the receiver) in terms of the source strength. Both the analytical and finite element models have been developed for the resulting acoustic-piezoelectric structure interaction problem. Resistive and resistive-inductive electrical loading cases are presented, and optimality conditions are discussed. Broadband power transfer is achieved by optimal resistive-reactive load tuning for performance enhancement and frequency-wise robustness. Significant enhancement of the power output is reported due to the use of a hard piezoelectric receiver (PZT-8) instead of a soft counterpart (PZT-5H) as a result of reduced material damping. The analytical multiphysics modeling approach given in this work can be used to predict and optimize the coupled system dynamics with very good accuracy and dramatically

  7. In-situ health monitoring of piezoelectric sensors using electromechanical impedance: A numerical perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilgunde, Prathamesh N.; Bond, Leonard J.

    2018-04-01

    Current work presents a numerical investigation to classify the in-situ health of the piezoelectric sensors deployed for structural health monitoring (SHM) of large civil, aircraft and automotive structures. The methodology proposed in this work attempts to model the in-homogeneities in the adhesive with which typically the sensor is bonded to the structure for SHM. It was found that weakening of the bond state causes reduction in the resonance frequency of the structure and eventually approaches the resonance characteristics of a piezoelectric material under traction-free boundary conditions. These changes in the resonance spectrum are further quantified using root mean square deviation-based damage index. Results demonstrate that the electromechanical impedance method can be used to monitor structural integrity of the sensor bonded to the host structure. This cost-effective method can potentially reduce misinterpretation of SHM data for critical infrastructures.

  8. Design and characterization of piezoelectric ultrasonic motors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yener, Serra

    This thesis presents modeling and prototype fabrication and characterization of new types of piezoelectric ultrasonic micromotors. Our approach in designing these piezoelectric motors was: (i) to simplify the structure including the poling configuration of piezoelectric elements used in the stator and (ii) to reduce the number of components in order to decrease the cost and enhance the driving reliability. There are two different types of piezoelectric motors designed throughout this research. The first of these designs consists of a metal tube, on which two piezoelectric ceramic plates poled in thickness direction, were bonded. Two orthogonal bending modes of the hollow cylinder were superimposed resulting in a rotational vibration. Since the structure and poling configuration of the active piezoelectric elements used in the stator are simple, this motor structure is very suitable for miniaturization. Moreover, a single driving source can excite two bending modes at the same time, thus generate a wobble motion. Three types of prototypes are included in this design. The piezoelectric stator structure is the same for all. However, the dimensions of the motors are reduced by almost 50 percent. Starting with a 10 mm long stator, we reached to 4 mm in the last prototype. The initial diameter was 2.4 mm, which was reduced to 1.6 mm. In the final design, the rotor part of the motor was changed resulting in the reduction in the number of components. In terms of driving circuit, a single driving source was enough to run the motors and a conventional switching power supply type resonant L-C circuit was used. A simple motor structure with a simple driving circuit were combined successfully and fabricated inexpensively. The second design is a shear type piezoelectric linear motor. The behavior of a single rectangular piezoelectric shear plate was analyzed and after optimizing the dimensions and the mode characteristics, a prototype was fabricated. The prototype consists of

  9. Shunted Piezoelectric Vibration Damping Analysis Including Centrifugal Loading Effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Min, James B.; Duffy, Kirsten P.; Provenza, Andrew J.

    2011-01-01

    Excessive vibration of turbomachinery blades causes high cycle fatigue problems which require damping treatments to mitigate vibration levels. One method is the use of piezoelectric materials as passive or active dampers. Based on the technical challenges and requirements learned from previous turbomachinery rotor blades research, an effort has been made to investigate the effectiveness of a shunted piezoelectric for the turbomachinery rotor blades vibration control, specifically for a condition with centrifugal rotation. While ample research has been performed on the use of a piezoelectric material with electric circuits to attempt to control the structural vibration damping, very little study has been done regarding rotational effects. The present study attempts to fill this void. Specifically, the objectives of this study are: (a) to create and analyze finite element models for harmonic forced response vibration analysis coupled with shunted piezoelectric circuits for engine blade operational conditions, (b) to validate the experimental test approaches with numerical results and vice versa, and (c) to establish a numerical modeling capability for vibration control using shunted piezoelectric circuits under rotation. Study has focused on a resonant damping control using shunted piezoelectric patches on plate specimens. Tests and analyses were performed for both non-spinning and spinning conditions. The finite element (FE) shunted piezoelectric circuit damping simulations were performed using the ANSYS Multiphysics code for the resistive and inductive circuit piezoelectric simulations of both conditions. The FE results showed a good correlation with experimental test results. Tests and analyses of shunted piezoelectric damping control, demonstrating with plate specimens, show a great potential to reduce blade vibrations under centrifugal loading.

  10. Characterization of temporal coherence of hard X-ray free-electron laser pulses with single-shot interferograms

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Osaka, Taito; Hirano, Takashi; Morioka, Yuki

    Temporal coherence is one of the most fundamental characteristics of light, connecting to spectral information through the Fourier transform relationship between time and frequency. Interferometers with a variable path-length difference (PLD) between the two branches have widely been employed to characterize temporal coherence properties for broad spectral regimes. Hard X-ray interferometers reported previously, however, have strict limitations in their operational photon energies, due to the specific optical layouts utilized to satisfy the stringent requirement for extreme stability of the PLD at sub-ångström scales. The work presented here characterizes the temporal coherence of hard X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses by capturingmore » single-shot interferograms. Since the stability requirement is drastically relieved with this approach, it was possible to build a versatile hard X-ray interferometer composed of six separate optical elements to cover a wide photon energy range from 6.5 to 11.5 keV while providing a large variable delay time of up to 47 ps at 10 keV. A high visibility of up to 0.55 was observed at a photon energy of 10 keV. The visibility measurement as a function of time delay reveals a mean coherence time of 5.9 ± 0.7 fs, which agrees with that expected from the single-shot spectral information. In conclusion, this is the first result of characterizing the temporal coherence of XFEL pulses in the hard X-ray regime and is an important milestone towards ultra-high energy resolutions at micro-electronvolt levels in time-domain X-ray spectroscopy, which will open up new opportunities for revealing dynamic properties in diverse systems on timescales from femtoseconds to nanoseconds, associated with fluctuations from ångström to nanometre spatial scales.« less

  11. Characterization of temporal coherence of hard X-ray free-electron laser pulses with single-shot interferograms

    DOE PAGES

    Osaka, Taito; Hirano, Takashi; Morioka, Yuki; ...

    2017-10-13

    Temporal coherence is one of the most fundamental characteristics of light, connecting to spectral information through the Fourier transform relationship between time and frequency. Interferometers with a variable path-length difference (PLD) between the two branches have widely been employed to characterize temporal coherence properties for broad spectral regimes. Hard X-ray interferometers reported previously, however, have strict limitations in their operational photon energies, due to the specific optical layouts utilized to satisfy the stringent requirement for extreme stability of the PLD at sub-ångström scales. The work presented here characterizes the temporal coherence of hard X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulses by capturingmore » single-shot interferograms. Since the stability requirement is drastically relieved with this approach, it was possible to build a versatile hard X-ray interferometer composed of six separate optical elements to cover a wide photon energy range from 6.5 to 11.5 keV while providing a large variable delay time of up to 47 ps at 10 keV. A high visibility of up to 0.55 was observed at a photon energy of 10 keV. The visibility measurement as a function of time delay reveals a mean coherence time of 5.9 ± 0.7 fs, which agrees with that expected from the single-shot spectral information. In conclusion, this is the first result of characterizing the temporal coherence of XFEL pulses in the hard X-ray regime and is an important milestone towards ultra-high energy resolutions at micro-electronvolt levels in time-domain X-ray spectroscopy, which will open up new opportunities for revealing dynamic properties in diverse systems on timescales from femtoseconds to nanoseconds, associated with fluctuations from ångström to nanometre spatial scales.« less

  12. Lead-free epitaxial ferroelectric material integration on semiconducting (100) Nb-doped SrTiO3 for low-power non-volatile memory and efficient ultraviolet ray detection

    PubMed Central

    Kundu, Souvik; Clavel, Michael; Biswas, Pranab; Chen, Bo; Song, Hyun-Cheol; Kumar, Prashant; Halder, Nripendra N.; Hudait, Mantu K.; Banerji, Pallab; Sanghadasa, Mohan; Priya, Shashank

    2015-01-01

    We report lead-free ferroelectric based resistive switching non-volatile memory (NVM) devices with epitaxial (1-x)BaTiO3-xBiFeO3 (x = 0.725) (BT-BFO) film integrated on semiconducting (100) Nb (0.7%) doped SrTiO3 (Nb:STO) substrates. The piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) measurement at room temperature demonstrated ferroelectricity in the BT-BFO thin film. PFM results also reveal the repeatable polarization inversion by poling, manifesting its potential for read-write operation in NVM devices. The electroforming-free and ferroelectric polarization coupled electrical behaviour demonstrated excellent resistive switching with high retention time, cyclic endurance, and low set/reset voltages. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was utilized to determine the band alignment at the BT-BFO and Nb:STO heterojunction, and it exhibited staggered band alignment. This heterojunction is found to behave as an efficient ultraviolet photo-detector with low rise and fall time. The architecture also demonstrates half-wave rectification under low and high input signal frequencies, where the output distortion is minimal. The results provide avenue for an electrical switch that can regulate the pixels in low or high frequency images. Combined this work paves the pathway towards designing future generation low-power ferroelectric based microelectronic devices by merging both electrical and photovoltaic properties of BT-BFO materials. PMID:26202946

  13. Lead-free epitaxial ferroelectric material integration on semiconducting (100) Nb-doped SrTiO3 for low-power non-volatile memory and efficient ultraviolet ray detection.

    PubMed

    Kundu, Souvik; Clavel, Michael; Biswas, Pranab; Chen, Bo; Song, Hyun-Cheol; Kumar, Prashant; Halder, Nripendra N; Hudait, Mantu K; Banerji, Pallab; Sanghadasa, Mohan; Priya, Shashank

    2015-07-23

    We report lead-free ferroelectric based resistive switching non-volatile memory (NVM) devices with epitaxial (1-x)BaTiO3-xBiFeO3 (x = 0.725) (BT-BFO) film integrated on semiconducting (100) Nb (0.7%) doped SrTiO3 (Nb:STO) substrates. The piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) measurement at room temperature demonstrated ferroelectricity in the BT-BFO thin film. PFM results also reveal the repeatable polarization inversion by poling, manifesting its potential for read-write operation in NVM devices. The electroforming-free and ferroelectric polarization coupled electrical behaviour demonstrated excellent resistive switching with high retention time, cyclic endurance, and low set/reset voltages. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was utilized to determine the band alignment at the BT-BFO and Nb:STO heterojunction, and it exhibited staggered band alignment. This heterojunction is found to behave as an efficient ultraviolet photo-detector with low rise and fall time. The architecture also demonstrates half-wave rectification under low and high input signal frequencies, where the output distortion is minimal. The results provide avenue for an electrical switch that can regulate the pixels in low or high frequency images. Combined this work paves the pathway towards designing future generation low-power ferroelectric based microelectronic devices by merging both electrical and photovoltaic properties of BT-BFO materials.

  14. Sublethal Lead Exposure Alters Movement Behavior in Free-Ranging Golden Eagles.

    PubMed

    Ecke, Frauke; Singh, Navinder J; Arnemo, Jon M; Bignert, Anders; Helander, Björn; Berglund, Åsa M M; Borg, Hans; Bröjer, Caroline; Holm, Karin; Lanzone, Michael; Miller, Tricia; Nordström, Åke; Räikkönen, Jannikke; Rodushkin, Ilia; Ågren, Erik; Hörnfeldt, Birger

    2017-05-16

    Lead poisoning of animals due to ingestion of fragments from lead-based ammunition in carcasses and offal of shot wildlife is acknowledged globally and raises great concerns about potential behavioral effects leading to increased mortality risks. Lead levels in blood were correlated with progress of the moose hunting season. Based on analyses of tracking data, we found that even sublethal lead concentrations in blood (25 ppb, wet weight), can likely negatively affect movement behavior (flight height and movement rate) of free-ranging scavenging Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos). Lead levels in liver of recovered post-mortem analyzed eagles suggested that sublethal exposure increases the risk of mortality in eagles. Such adverse effects on animals are probably common worldwide and across species, where game hunting with lead-based ammunition is widespread. Our study highlights lead exposure as a considerably more serious threat to wildlife conservation than previously realized and suggests implementation of bans of lead ammunition for hunting.

  15. Human-computer interface glove using flexible piezoelectric sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cha, Youngsu; Seo, Jeonggyu; Kim, Jun-Sik; Park, Jung-Min

    2017-05-01

    In this note, we propose a human-computer interface glove based on flexible piezoelectric sensors. We select polyvinylidene fluoride as the piezoelectric material for the sensors because of advantages such as a steady piezoelectric characteristic and good flexibility. The sensors are installed in a fabric glove by means of pockets and Velcro bands. We detect changes in the angles of the finger joints from the outputs of the sensors, and use them for controlling a virtual hand that is utilized in virtual object manipulation. To assess the sensing ability of the piezoelectric sensors, we compare the processed angles from the sensor outputs with the real angles from a camera recoding. With good agreement between the processed and real angles, we successfully demonstrate the user interaction system with the virtual hand and interface glove based on the flexible piezoelectric sensors, for four hand motions: fist clenching, pinching, touching, and grasping.

  16. Evolution of the composition, structure, and piezoelectric performance of (K1-xNax)NbO3 nanorod arrays with hydrothermal reaction time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Wenchao; Wang, Zhao; Li, Meng; He, Yahua; Hu, Xiaokang; Li, Luying; Gao, Yihua; Hu, Yongming; Gu, Haoshuang; Wang, Xiaolin

    2018-04-01

    Lead-free (K,Na)NbO3 (KNN) nanorod arrays were synthesized with the assistance of a Nb: SrTiO3 single-crystal substrate through the hydrothermal process. The evolutions of the morphology, composition, and structure of the as-synthesized KNN nanorods with the increase in reaction time were investigated. The results confirmed that the increase in reaction time up to 3 h led to the increase in the length and aspect ratio of the well-aligned KNN nanorods. All samples have K-rich orthorhombic crystal structures, while the diffraction peaks shifted towards a higher degree. The peak shifts should be attributed to the increase in the Na content in the KNN lattice, which could decrease the lattice parameters owing to the small ionic radius of Na+ than that of K+. Moreover, the increase in reaction time also resulted in the suppression of oxygen vacancies on the surface of the KNN nanorods. These evolutions of the composition and crystal structure, as well as the decrease in the defect content, lead to great enhancement of the nanorod's piezoelectric response, as their d33 value was increased from 19 to 64 pm/V. These results demonstrated the significant impact of reaction time on the hydrothermal growth of high-performance lead-free KNN one-dimensional nanomaterials.

  17. Energy harvesting from low frequency applications using piezoelectric materials

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Huidong; Tian, Chuan; Deng, Z. Daniel

    2014-11-06

    This paper reviewed the state of research on piezoelectric energy harvesters. Various types of harvester configurations, piezoelectric materials, and techniques used to improve the mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency were discussed. Most of the piezoelectric energy harvesters studied today have focused on scavenging mechanical energy from vibration sources due to their abundance in both natural and industrial environments. Cantilever beams have been the most studied structure for piezoelectric energy harvester to date because of the high responsiveness to small vibrations.

  18. Large displacement vertical translational actuator based on piezoelectric thin films.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Zhen; Pulskamp, Jeffrey S; Lin, Xianke; Rhee, Choong-Ho; Wang, Thomas; Polcawich, Ronald G; Oldham, Kenn

    2010-07-01

    A novel vertical translational microactuator based on thin-film piezoelectric actuation is presented, using a set of four compound bend-up/bend-down unimorphs to produce translational motion of a moving platform or stage. The actuation material is a chemical-solution deposited lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) thin film. Prototype designs have shown as much as 120 μ m of static displacement, with 80-90 μ m displacements being typical, using four 920 μ m long by 70 μ m legs. Analytical models are presented that accurately describe nonlinear behavior in both static and dynamic operation of prototype stages when the dependence of piezoelectric coefficients on voltage is known. Resonance of the system is observed at a frequency of 200 Hz. The large displacement and high bandwidth of the actuators at low-voltage and low-power levels should make them useful to a variety of optical applications, including endoscopic microscopy.

  19. Method of Making Thermally Stable, Piezoelectric and Proelectric Polymeric Substrates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simpson, Joycelyn O. (Inventor); St.Clair, Terry L. (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    A thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate was prepared. This thermally stable, piezoelectric and pyroelectric polymeric substrate may be used to prepare electromechanical transducers, thermomechanical transducers, accelerometers, acoustic sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, vibration sensors, impact sensors. in-situ temperature sensors, in-situ stress/strain sensors, micro actuators, switches, adjustable fresnel lenses, speakers, tactile sensors, weather sensors, micro positioners, ultrasonic devices, power generators, tunable reflectors, microphones, and hydrophones. The process for preparing these polymeric substrates includes: providing a polymeric substrate having a softening temperature greater than 100 C; depositing a metal electrode material onto the polymer film; attaching a plurality of electrical leads to the metal electrode coated polymeric substrate; heating the metal electrode coated polymeric substrate in a low dielectric medium: applying a voltage to the heated metal electrode coated polymeric substrate to induce polarization; and cooling the polarized metal electrode coated polymeric electrode while maintaining a constant voltage.

  20. Low-frequency ultrasonic Bessel-like collimated beam generation from radial modes of piezoelectric transducers

    DOE PAGES

    Chillara, Vamshi Krishna; Pantea, Cristian; Sinha, Dipen N.

    2017-02-06

    We present a very simple approach to generate a collimated ultrasonic beam that exploits the natural Bessel-like vibration pattern of the radial modes of a piezoelectric disc with lateral clamping. This eliminates the need for the conventional annular Bessel pattern of the electrodes with individual electrode excitation on the piezo-disc, thus simplifying the transducer design. Numerical and experimental studies are carried out to investigate the Bessel-like vibration patterns of these radial modes showing an excellent agreement between these two studies. Measured ultrasonic beam- pro les in water from the radial modes con rm the profile to be a Bessel beam.more » Collimated beam generation from radial modes is investigated using a coupled electromechanical finite-element model. It is found that clamping the lateral edges of piezoelectric transducers results in a high-degree of collimation with practically no side-lobes similar to a parametric array beam. Ultrasonic beam- profile measurements in water with both free and clamped piezoelectric transducer are presented. The collimated beam generation using the present technique of using the laterally clamped radial modes finds significant applications in low-frequency imaging through highly attenuating materials.« less