Fabrication and Evaluation of PZT/Ag Piezoelectric Composites and Graded Actuator

Abstract

Homogeneous PZT/Ag composites and compositionally graded PZT/Ag actuators were fabricated and evaluated in this work. The piezoelectric constant decreases gradually and the dielectric constant increases significantly with an increase in silver content of the PZT/Ag composites. The fracture toughness of the PZT/Ag composites is enhanced with addition of the silver powders. Based on the corresponding piezoelectric properties of the monolithic PZT/Ag composites, a graded material with symmetric silver compositions from 1 to 10 vol % then inversely to 1 vol % was successfully fabricated by conventional sintering. This study indicates that the PZT/Ag composites can be used to acting as bimorph actuator materials.

Sintering and Piezoelectric Properties of Co‐Fired Lead Zirconate Titanate/Ag Composites

“…Compared with PZT/Pt composites, 5 the k p value in this study decreased more rapidly with increasing metal concentration. In addition, the k p values for the PZT/Ag composite sintered at 1200°C were obviously higher than those sintered at 900°C 19 …”

“…Figure 10 shows the measured piezoelectric constant d 33 for the PZT/Ag composites sintered at 1200°C for 1 h. A comparison of d 33 was made among the present samples, the PZT/Ag formerly sintered at 900°C, 19 and the PZT/Pt sintered at 1200°C 5 . The d 33 values were all found to decrease with increasing metal concentration.…”

Fabrication and evaluation of PZT/Ag composites and functionally graded piezoelectric actuators

“…The large diffusing rate of the Ag atoms accounts for the Ag loss in the PZT/Ag composites [7,12]. The attempt to sinter the PZT/Ag composites at a lower temperature of 900 • C, unfortunately, produced relatively porous microstructures [13]. Figure 2 shows the measured piezoelectric constant d 33 for the PZT/Ag composites sintered at 1200 • C for 1 h. The d 33 value decreases with increasing Ag concentration up to 22.5 vol%; above this the d 33 value begins to increase gradually.…”

“…Since the Pt is stable in PZT at the same sintering temperature of 1200 • C, this two-region characteristic is not observed in PZT/Pt composites. A comparison of the d 33 value was made among the present materials, the PZT/Ag composites formerly sintered at 900 • C [13], and the PZT/Pt composites sintered at 1200 • C for 1 h [2]. When Ag concentration is 10 vol%, the d 33 value is nearly zero for the PZT/Ag composites sintered at 900 • C, whereas the d 33 value is still as high as 270 pC/N for the PZT/Ag composites sintered at 1200 • C. Compared with the PZT/Pt system, the d 33 value of the PZT/Ag composites decreases more rapidly with increasing metal concentration.…”

“…The piezoelectric constant d 33 as a function of Ag concentration for the PZT/Ag composites sintered at 1200 • C for 1 h. The reported d 33 for the PZT/Ag composites sintered at 900 • C for 4 h[13] and for the PZT/Pt composites sintered at 1200 • C for 1…”