SBIR Phase I: High Performance Lead-Free Piezoelectric Ceramics

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将专注于为各种高性能传感器和换能器应用开发性能更好的无铅压电陶瓷。通过改变陶瓷内晶粒取向的程度，将增强钡锆钛酸盐（BZT）陶瓷组合物的压电响应。在块体BZT陶瓷内用小百分比的适当取向的不等轴、同构颗粒（模板颗粒）接种将在热致密化期间产生织构。织构化BZT陶瓷的压电响应将与当前的铅基材料相当，由于环境限制，这将允许在商业部门中更大的实用性。 商业纹理化的压电BZT陶瓷可用于各种机电换能器和传感器应用，包括航空航天、海洋、生物医学和超声波工业。BZT陶瓷有可能取代目前使用锆钛酸铅（PZT）陶瓷的所有应用，因为铅含量是环境不可接受的。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will focus on the formation of improved performance, lead-free, piezoelectric ceramics for various high performance sensor and transducer applications. The piezoelectric response of Barium Zirconium Titanate (BZT) ceramic compositions will be enhanced by altering the degree of grain orientation within the ceramic. Seeding with a small percentage of properly oriented anisometric, isostructural particles (template particles) within the bulk BZT ceramic will produce the texture during thermal densification. The piezoelectric response of the textured BZT ceramics would be comparable to current lead-based materials, which would allow for greater utility in the commercial sector due to environmental constraints. Commercially textured, piezoelectric BZT ceramics can be used for various electromechanical transducer and sensor applications, which include the aerospace, marine, biomedical, and ultrasonic industries. The BZT ceramics have the potential of replacing all applications currently using lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics, which are environmentally unacceptable because of the lead content.