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Piezoelectric and mechanical properties of structured PZT–epoxy composites

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Abstract

Structured lead zirconium titanate (PZT)–epoxy composites are prepared by dielectrophoresis. The piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the composites as a function of PZT volume fraction are investigated and compared with the corresponding unstructured composites. The effect of poling voltage on piezoelectric properties of the composites is studied for various volume fractions of PZT composites. The experimentally observed piezoelectric and dielectric properties have been compared with theoretical models. Dielectrophoretically structured composites exhibit higher piezoelectric voltage coefficients compared to 0–3 composites. Structured composites with 0.1 volume fraction of PZT have the highest piezoelectric voltage coefficient. The flexural strength and bending modulus of the structured and random composites were analyzed using three-point bending tests.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was financially supported by the Smartmix funding program (Grant No. SMVA06071), as part of the program “Smart systems based on integrated Piezo.” The authors are grateful to Morgan Electro Ceramics for providing the PZT 507 powder used in this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Novel Aerospace Materials Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Structures and Materials, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HS, Delft, The Netherlands

    Nijesh Kunnamkuzhakkal James

  2. Novel Aerospace Materials Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HS, Delft, The Netherlands

    Daan van den Ende

  3. Novel Aerospace Materials Group, Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Department of Aerospace Materials and Structures, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HS, Delft, The Netherlands

    Ugo Lafont, Sybrand van der Zwaag & Wilhelm A. Groen

  4. Holst Centre, TNO, 5605 KN, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Daan van den Ende & Wilhelm A. Groen

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  1. Nijesh Kunnamkuzhakkal James
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  2. Daan van den Ende
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  3. Ugo Lafont
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  4. Sybrand van der Zwaag
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Correspondence to Nijesh Kunnamkuzhakkal James.

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James, N.K., van den Ende, D., Lafont, U. et al. Piezoelectric and mechanical properties of structured PZT–epoxy composites. Journal of Materials Research 28, 635–641 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.428

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.428

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