Improved hydrostatic piezoelectric property via incorporation of porous PZT ceramics into 1–3 type PZT-polymer composites: Design to fabrication

PZT ceramic is widely used as sensors, especially in underwater applications like sound navigation and ranging(SONAR), due to its piezoelectric properties. However, single-phase PZT ceramics have poor hydrostatic piezoelectric properties, leading to the development of porous PZT and PZT-polymer composites. This study enhanced the hydrostatic figure of merit(HFOM) value by incorporating porous PZT into a 1–3 type composite. Finite element analysis and the ceramic injection molding(CIM) method were used for optimal design and fabrication. PZflex simulation tool derived the composite's piezoelectric properties, revealing that increased porosity reduced d₃₃ and d₃₁ but increased HFOM. The aspect ratio of PZT rods was selected by calculating the coupling factor. The fabricated composite had a higher HFOM value (4050(10–15 Pa) at 12 % porosity) than dense 1–3 type PZT-polymer composites. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of finite element analysis and CIM in designing high-performance piezoelectric composites, with potential for various future applications.