Abstract
Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) stacks that had an interdigital internal electrode configuration were tested to more than 108 cycles. A 100 Hz semibipolar sine wave with a field range of +4.5/-0.9 kV/mm was used in cycling with a concurrently-applied 20 MPa preload. Significant reductions in piezoelectric and dielectric responses were observed during the cycling depending on the measuring condition. Extensive partial discharges were also observed. These surface events resulted in the erosion of external electrode and the exposure of internal electrodes. Sections prepared by sequential polishing technique revealed a variety of damage mechanisms including delaminations, pores, and etch grooves. The scale of damage was correlated with the degree of fatigue-induced reduction in piezoelectric and dielectric responses. The results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of using a semibipolar mode to drive a PZT stack under a mechanical preload and illustrate the potential fatigue and damages of the stack in service.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 084107 |
| Journal | Journal of Applied Physics |
| Volume | 108 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 15 2010 |
Funding
Research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Vehicle Technologies, as part of the Propulsion Materials Program, under contract DE-AC05–00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC. The authors thank Drs. B. M. Evans III and N. Balke for reviewing the manuscript and T. Geer for assisting the preparation of stack sections.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Energy | |
| Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy | |
| Vehicle Technologies Office | DE-AC05–00OR22725 |