Sol-gel derived PbTio3-polymer piezoelectric composites

Abstract
Amorphous lead titanate powder was prepared using a sol-gel process. The powder was fired to temperatures ranging from 500°C to 1200°C and soaked for various lengths of time. X-ray diffraction confirmed that the fired powders were tetragonal PbTiO3. Surface area measurements indicated that the specific surface area of the powder decreased with increasing heat treatment. The powders were mixed with Eccogel polymer to make composites in which the ceramic phase constituted 60 percent by volume. Piezoelectric coefficients were found to be greatest for those composites containing powder fired to 1100°C and soaked for 1 hour. The dhgh value obtained for this heat treatment was 540×10−15m2N−1.