Rochelle Salt Revisited for Eco-Designed Ultrasonic Transducers

Abstract

This paper details some characterization results of selected Rochelle salt based transducers previously or recently fabricated using various techniques. Several elements of the expected increasing lifetime are shown. Polarization results comparing monocrystalline and polycrystalline structures show that the former is ferroelectric and strongly piezoelectric as expected. The second behaves as a piezoelectric and is strongly electrostrictive, reaching a significant displacement when subjected to high voltage. Because Rochelle salt could be the lowest environmental footprint ferroelectric and piezoelectric, it is an ecological smart material. It may have some limitations, but also circular and recoverable highly interesting properties. Thus, the possibility of revisiting the Rochelle salt based technology for disposable, ecological or eco-designed efficient acoustic transducer is here illustrated and discussed.