Dependence of piezoelectric properties on layer thickness for multilayer actuators

In general, it has been reported that the piezoelectric properties in multilayer actuators decrease for layer thicknesses below 20 microns. This has been investigated for PXE55 which is a material based on PLZT-Pb(Mg 1/2W1/2)O3 and PG01 which is a low sintering version of this material. Results show that for the standard PXE55 material the...

Development of temperature stable charge based piezoelectric composite quasi-static pressure sensors

In this work piezoelectric composite charge based sensors are developed, aimed at quasi-static pressure sensor or switch type applications. The use of piezoelectric composite materials allows for manufacturing robust devices which can easily be integrated with conventional polymer processing. Piezoelectric composites of lead zirconate titanate ...

Diffusion of silver during sintering in high permittivity COG dielectrics

To achieve cost reduction in multi-layer ceramic capacitors and actuators, which use a silver-palladium alloy as internal electrode, the trend is to use alloys with the highest silver content possible. This requires ceramic materials which must be sintered at a relative low temperature. Goal is to avoid much diffusion of silver into the ceramics...

Properties of quasi 1-3 piezoelectric PZT-epoxy composites obtained by dielectrophoresis

The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of piezoelectric particleepoxy polymer composites structured into 1-3 composites via dielectrophoresis during curing are reported. The dielectrophoretic alignment induces a textured microstructure in the composite, with particles forming chains in the direction of the electric field. The particles form...

Improving the d-33 and g-33 properties of 0-3 piezoelectric composites by dielectrophoresis

Composites of piezoelectric particles in a polymer matrix with enhanced properties in the poling direction were prepared by dielectrophoretic alignment of the particles. The effect of processing parameters such as the amplitude and frequency of the applied electric field and the viscosity of the matrix on the dielectric and piezoelectric...

A short pulse (7 μs FWHM) and high repetition rate (dc-5kHz) cantilever piezovalve for pulsed atomic and molecular beams

In this paper we report on the design and operation of a novel piezovalve for the production of short pulsed atomic or molecular beams. The high speed valve operates on the principle of a cantilever piezo. The only moving part, besides the cantilever piezo itself, is a very small O-ring that forms the vacuum seal. The valve can operate...

Non-linear electromechanical behaviour of piezoelectric bimorph actuators: Influence on performance and lifetime

Piezoelectric bimorph bender actuators find application number of areas, ranging from automotive to health care. High voltage operation in harsh environments poses ever more stringent demands on functionality and lifetime. In these high performance benders, the trade-off between functionality and lifetime becomes of increasing importance, and a...

Lifetime of piezoceramic multilayer actuators: Interplay of material properties and actuator design

We report an investigation into factors limiting the functional lifetime of multilayer piezoceramic actuators. The study consists of a combination of lifetime experiments by means of an accelerated lifetime test, inspection of the actuator microstructure at different stages of the accelerated lifetime test, and numerical simulation of the...