Evaluation of new piezoelectric composite materials for hydrophone applications

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Abstract
Polymer-ceramic composites with different connectivity designs have been developed. The piezoelectric d and g coefficients of these composites in hydrostatic mode were characterized as a function of pressure, temperature, and frequency. All composite samples exhibited piezoelectric properties greatly improved over those of conventional piezoelectric ceramics. However, the introduction of soft polymer matrix caused the composite properties to be highly pressure-dependent. The effect of reinforced polymer matrix on the temperature and pressure dependences of the piezoelectric coefficients was also investigated. Prototype hydrophones containing the composite samples were designed and evaluated for their free-field voltage sensitivity. The potential use of polymer-ceramic composites for underwater acoustic applications is discussed.