Third party funded individual grant
Start date : 01.06.2016
End date : 31.07.2020
Perovskite lead-free ferroelectrics have been shown to have promising electromechanical properties that surpass lead-containing PZT. There are, however, certain obstacles that must be overcome before these materials can be implemented in commercial applications, such as the large poling field and significant ferroelectric hysteresis. The largest unipolar strains have been observed in (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 based materials and are understood to be due to an electric-field induced transformation from a macroscopic nonpolar (ergodic relaxor) to a macroscopic polar (ferroelectric) order, which can be modulated thermally or compositionally. Recent work has shown that through microstructural control, i.e., composite structure, the electromechanical properties can be enhanced. There is currently, however, little understanding about how local effects and bulk material properties influence composite ferroelectrics. Therefore, the primary aim of this project is to understand the role of electrical conductivity, interface regions, and local mechanical fields on the macroscopic constitutive behavior of lead-free composite ferroelectrics through a complimentary combination of experimental characterization and simulations.