H. Khanbareh

Effect of dielectrophoretic structuring on piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of lead titanate-epoxy composites

Functional granular composites of lead titanate particles in an epoxy matrix prepared by dielectrophoresis show enhanced dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties compared to 0-3 composites for different ceramic volume content from 10% to 50%. Two structuring parameters, the interparticle distance and the percentage of 1-3 connectivity are used based on the Bowen model and the mixed connectivity model respectively. The degree of structuring calculated according to both models correlate well with the increase in piezoelectric and pyroelectric sensitivities of the composites. Higher sensitivity of the electroactive properties are observed at higher ceramic volume fractions. The effect of electrical conductivity of the matrix on the pyroelectric responsivity of the composites has been demonstrated to be a key parameter in governing the pyroelectric properties of the composites.

Analysis of the fractal dimension of grain boundaries of AA7050 aluminum alloys and its relationship to fracture toughness

Quantitative analysis of the grain boundaries in partially recrystallized microstructures of heat-treated 7050 aluminum alloys has been performed. Fractal dimensions of the extracted grain boundaries were calculated by box-counting method. Five different types of tear-tested materials rolled in different processes each at two orientations of 0° and 90° were studied. Efforts were made to connect the fractal dimensions of grain boundaries in the crack propagation direction to the fracture toughness (unit propagation energy, UPE, in tear test). The results show that there is a linear correlation between UPE and the fractal dimensions of the grain boundaries along the crack propagation direction for both 0° and 90° samples. The dependence corresponds well with the observation of transition from intergranular fracture to transgranular fracture with the increase of UPE. Quantitative analysis has also been performed on the micrographs to estimate the degree of recrystallization and the grain size in crack growth direction. No correlation between the fraction of recrystallized grains and the UPE could be detected.

Structure, dielectric and piezoelectric properties of donor doped PZT ceramics across the phase diagram

ABSTRACT The effects of Zr/Ti ratio on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the sintered Pb(ZrxTi(1−x))0.99Nb0.01O3 piezoelectric ceramics across the entire range of phase diagram of the PZT solid solution was studied systematically. The materials were prepared by the conventional mixed oxide process. The phase purity and crystal structure of the calcined powders and sintered ceramics was analysed using X-ray diffraction. The microstructure of the sintered ceramics has been investigated using scanning electron microscopy. It is seen that even though there is a significant increase in dielectric constant (ϵr) and piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) at the PZT-52 (MPB) composition, the voltage sensitivity (g33) of the PZT-0 (lead titanate) ceramics are higher than that of MPB.

Piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of conductive polyethylene oxide-lead titanate composites

Polymer-ceramic composites with pyroelectric sensitivity are presented as promising candidates for sensing applications. Selection of the appropriate ceramic filler and the polymer matrix is one of the key parameters in the development of optimized materials for specific applications. In this work lead-titanate (PT) ceramic particulate is incorporated into a polymer matrix, polyethylene oxide (PEO) with a relatively high electrical conductivity to develop sensitive and at the same time flexible composites. PT particles are dispersed in PEO at varying volume fractions, and composite materials are cast in the form of films to measure their dielectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. From these data the piezoelectric voltage coefficients as well as pyroelctric figures of merit of the composite films have been determined. In order to determine the effect of electrical conductivity of the polymer matrix on the poling efficiency and the final properties, a poling study has been performed. Improving the electrical conductivity of the polymer phase enhances the poling process significantly. It is found that both the piezoelectric and the pyroelectric figures of merit increase with concentration of PT. PT–PEO composites show superior pyroelectric sensitivity compared to other composites with less conductive polymer matrices.

Effect of isothermal aging on room temperature impression creep of lead free Sn–9Zn and Sn–8Zn–3Bi solders

Abstract The influence of isothermal aging on the creep behaviour of Sn–9Zn and Sn–8Zn–3Bi solder alloys was studied by impression testing. The tests were carried out under constant impression stress in the range from 90 to 230 MPa at room temperature. Aging affected the microstructure and, thus, the creep behaviour of the materials. The binary Sn–9Zn alloy, with an as cast microstructure characterised by an almost uniform distribution of fine Zn precipitates, was much more creep resistant than the aged condition containing a more sparse precipitate in a softer matrix. In the ternary Sn–8Zn–3Bi alloy, however, isothermal aging enhanced Bi precipitation with almost no change in the distribution and density of Zn particles, the result being an improved creep resistance of the aged material. Irrespective of the processing condition, Sn–8Zn–3Bi showed much lower steady state creep rates than the Sn–9Zn due to both precipitation and a solid solutioning effect of Bi in the Sn matrix. The stress exponents of the as cast and aged conditions were found to be respectively 8·5 and 7·7 for Sn–9Zn and 9·8 and 7·8 for Sn–8Zn–3Bi. These values are in agreement with those determined by room temperature conventional creep testing of the same materials reported in the literature.

In-situ poling and structurization of piezoelectric particulate composites:

Composites of lead zirconate titanate particles in an epoxy matrix are prepared in the form of 0–3 and quasi 1–3 with different ceramic volume contents from 10% to 50%. Two different processing routes are tested. Firstly a conventional dielectrophoretic structuring is used to induce a chain-like particle configuration, followed by curing the matrix and poling at a high temperature and under a high voltage. Secondly a simultaneous combination of dielectrophoresis and poling is applied at room temperature while the polymer is in the liquid state followed by subsequent curing. This new processing route is practiced in an uncured thermoset system while the polymer matrix still possess a relatively high electrical conductivity. Composites with different degrees of alignment are produced by altering the magnitude of the applied electric field. A significant improvement in piezoelectric properties of quasi 1–3 composites can be achieved by a combination of dielectrophoretic alignment of the ceramic particles and poling process. It has been observed that the degree of structuring as well as the functional properties of the in-situ structured and poled composites enhance significantly compared to those of the conventionally manufactured structured composites. Improving the alignment quality enhances the piezoelectric properties of the particulate composites.

Functionally graded ferroelectric polyetherimide composites for high temperature sensing

High temperature ferroelectrics for thermally stable devices that can detect pressure and temperature are of great industrial interest. Here we describe composites of lead titanate (PT) particle-polyetherimide (PEI) polymers with stable dielectric and piezoelectric properties over a broad range of temperature and frequency. The reported materials have a low dielectric loss (tanδ ∼ 0.001 at 1 kHz) and a high piezoelectric voltage coefficient of 100 mV m N-1 at record temperatures of 175 °C. We demonstrate that a small ceramic loading leads to a significant change in thermally stable piezoelectric behavior, while the processability as well as mechanical properties remain comparable to those of the neat polymer. Careful design of the microstructure is performed by dielectrophoretic assembly of ferroelectric PT micro-particles to induce micro-wire configurations, which is shown to be a key element in attaining high functionality at low ceramic loading. Thermal imidization of the composites is performed in two steps, first partial imidization at 60 °C to form free standing films containing polyamic acid, followed by full imidization at 200 °C and 300 °C. The presence of highly polar polyamic acid results in higher dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity that facilitate efficient poling. Upon complete imidization of the films at 300 °C the dielectric and piezoelectric properties are tested at elevated temperatures. A fully imidized composite contains completely closed imide groups, resulting in a thermally stable material with a very low dielectric loss that maintains more than 85% of its room temperature piezoelectric sensitivity up to 175 °C. The room temperature piezoelectric voltage coefficient shows more than 400% improvement over that of PT ceramics.

Understanding the effect of porosity on the polarisation-field response of ferroelectric materials

Abstract This paper combines experimental and modelling studies to provide a detailed examination of the influence of porosity volume fraction and morphology on the polarisation-electric field response of ferroelectric materials. The broadening of the electric field distribution and a decrease in the electric field experienced by the ferroelectric ceramic medium due to the presence of low-permittivity pores is examined and its implications on the shape of the hysteresis loop, remnant polarisation and coercive field is discussed. The variation of coercive field with porosity level is seen to be complex and is attributed to two competing mechanisms where at high porosity levels the influence of the broadening of the electric field distribution dominates, while at low porosity levels an increase in the compliance of the matrix is more important. This new approach to understanding these materials enables the seemingly conflicting observations in the existing literature to be clarified and provides an effective approach to interpret the influence of pore fraction and morphology on the polarisation behaviour of ferroelectrics. Such information provides new insights in the interpretation of the physical properties of porous ferroelectric materials to inform future effort in the design of ferroelectric materials for piezoelectric sensor, actuator, energy harvesting, and transducer applications.

Highly sensitive piezo particulate-polymer foam composites for robotic skin application

ABSTRACT Tri-phase PZT-porous polyurethane (PU) composites are investigated with the aim of developing conformable, highly sensitive tactile sensors for application in Human-Machine Interactions. The main goal is to reduce the dielectric constant of the polymer matrix, and improve flexibility of traditional diphase piezo-composites, consisting of ceramic particles in a dense polymeric matrix, by adding a third (gaseous) phase to the system. The presence of the gaseous component in the polymer matrix in the form of well-distributed spherical inclusions effectively decreases the polymer dielectric permittivity, which improves the piezoelectric voltage coefficient of the composites significantly. The unique combination of dielectrophoretic structuring of PZT particles and the addition of a gaseous phase to the polymer resin results in the highest performance of the particulate composite sensors reported in the literature so far. The g33 values of the newly developed triphase composites are twice that of the structured di-phase PZT-dense PU composites (80 mV.m/N) and more than five times the g33 value of bulk PZT ceramics (24-28 mV.m/N).

A temperature oscillation instrument to determine pyroelectric properties of materials at low frequencies: Towards elimination of lock-in methods.

Pyroelectric properties of materials can be accurately determined by applying a new digital signal processing method on the discrete sampled data obtained with a temperature oscillation technique. The pyroelectric coefficient is calculated from the component of the generated current 90° out of phase with respect to the sinusoidal temperature wave. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the signal analysis procedure which implements a simple Fast Fourier transform that filters residual noise through convolution, and calculates the phase difference between the peaks of the temperature and current waves. The new idea requires relatively simple hardware and enables very accurate measurement of the pyroelectric coefficient of materials at ultra low frequencies, 1-250 mHz, without using costly lock-in amplifiers.