Piezoelectric Properties of Diphase Ceramic-Polymer 0-3 Composites for Flexible Sensor Applications

Dhiraj Saxena

Abstract: Ferroelectric ceramic/polymer composites have the compliance of polymers which overcome the problems of brittleness in ceramics. By imbedding piezoelectric ceramic powder into a polymer matrix, 0-3 composites with good mechanical properties and high dielectric breakdown strength can be developed. The obtained composites of 0-3 connectivity would exhibit the piezoelectric properties of ceramics and flexibility, strength and lightness of polymer. These composites can be used in vibration sensing and transducer applications specially as piezoelectric sensors. In this paper, we have described the piezoelectric properties of 0-3 composites films of PZT- PVA prepared by hot press method. Composites were poled by applying different poling voltages. The piezoelectric properties of composite were analyzed by measuring piezoelectric coefficient (d33) as a function of the PZT loading fraction. The results so obtained were found in good agreement with theoretical results as calculated from other models. Effect of poling time on piezoelectric properties of these composites was also studied and analyzed.

Keywords: Piezoelectric effect, piezoelectric coefficient, polymer-ceramic composites, and hot press method