• 한국세라믹학회지
• /
• 제56권6호
• /
• pp.549-557
• /
• 2019

More than two decades of world-wide research efforts have resulted in several classes of potentially important materials. Among them are incipient piezoelectrics, which are especially useful for actuator applications. However, relatively large electric fields are required for activating the large incipient electromechanical strains. So far, many attempts have been made to reduce the required electric field by intentionally inhomogenizing the electric field distribution in the microstructure through core-shell and composite approaches. Here, we show that electric field concentration can be realized simply by adjusting electrode patterns. We have investigated the effect of electrode patterning on the incipient electromechanical strain properties of an exemplarily chosen lead-free relaxor system, revealing that electrode patterning does have a significant role on the strain properties of the given lead-free relaxor system. We believe that this approach would make a new strategy for ones to consider bringing the functional properties of electroceramics beyond their conventional limit.

• 세라미스트
• /
• 제23권1호
• /
• pp.89-100
• /
• 2020

Abnormally large electromechanical strain properties have been reported in bismuth-based piezoelectric ceramics, which cast a promise for replacing the market-dominating PZT-based piezoelectric ceramics in actuator applications. In spite of these large strains in bismuth-based piezoelectric ceramics, there still remains a critical issue for its safe transfer to practical applications, representatively, a relatively high operating field required to obtain the large strain properties. To overcome the challenge, much attention has been paid to so-called 0-3(or 3-0) type ceramic/ceramic composite approach to better tailoring the strain properties of bismuth-based piezoelectric ceramics. The approach turns out to be highly effective, leading to a drastic decrease in the operating electric field for these materials. Besides, both extensive and intensive search for the related mechanism revealed that the reduction in the operating electric field is largely due to the contribution from polarization coupling or strain coupling model between two different ceramics. This article reviews the status of the art in the development of novel ceramic/ceramic composites to make large incipient piezostrains in bismuth-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics practical.

• 한국전기전자재료학회논문지
• /
• 제36권5호
• /
• pp.505-512
• /
• 2023

This study investigated crystal structures, microstructures, and electric-field-induced strain (EFIS) properties of Bi-based lead-free ferroelectric/relaxor composites. Bi_1/2Na_0.82K_0.18)_1/2TiO₃ (BNKT) as a ferroelectric material and 0.78Bi_1/2(Na_0.78K_0.22)_1/2TiO₃-0.02LaFeO₃ (BNKT2LF) as a relaxor material were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method, and the resulting BNKT2LF powders were subjected to high-energy ball milling (HEBM) after calcination. As a result, HEBM proved a larger average grain size of sintered samples compared to conventional ball milling (CBM). In addition, the increased sintering time led to grain growth. Furthermore, HEBM treatment and sintering time demonstrated a significant effect on EFIS of BNKT/BNKT2LF composites. At 6 kV/mm, 0.35% of the maximum strain (S_max) was observed in the HEBM sample sintered for 12 h. The unipolar strain curves of CBM samples were almost linear, indicating almost no phase transitions, while HEBM samples displayed phase transitions at 5~6 kV/mm for all sintering time levels, showing the highest S_max/E_max value of 700 pm/V. These results indicated that HEBM treatment with a long sintering time might significantly enhance the electromechanical strain properties of BNT-based ceramics.