Colloidal Processing for Improved Piezoelectric Properties of Flexible 0–3 Ceramic–Polymer Composites

Abstract

Ceramic‐polymer composites with 0–3 connectivity were prepared from (Pb 0.5 , Bi 0.5 ) (Ti 0.5 , (Fe 1‐ x Mn x ) 0.5 )O 3 ( x = 0.00 to 0.02) ceramic powder and epoxy polymer. Epoxy was dissolved in a methanol solution and the ceramic powder was added to form a suspension. Powder‐polymer coacervates were precipitated from the suspension by the addition of water. Colloidal filtration followed by cold‐pressing consolidated the coacervates to form composites with uniform microstructure. Composites fabricated in this manner could be poled with higher electric fields than could be sustained by the conventionally prepared composites. The values of piezoelectric coefficients, d 33 , d h , and g h were as high as 65, 41 pC/N, and 145 mV · m/N, respectively.