Flexible 1-3 Piezoelectric Composites with Soft Embedded Conductive Interconnects for Underwater Acoustic Transducers

Abstract

1-3 Piezoelectric composites have been widely used in underwater acoustic transducers because of their advanced electromechanical coupling properties relative to bulk piezoelectric ceramics. However, the existing applied composites are mainly rigid 1-3 PZT–epoxy resin composites, which have rigid structures and cannot be adapted to various sonar carriers with complex surfaces. Here, we design and develop a flexible 1-3 PZT–silicone rubber composite (PSC) for the first time. PSC combines a soft silicone rubber polymer in PZT with flexible embedded island-bridge conductive interconnects to enable the flexibility of both the piezoelectric sensing core and the electrical layer. The flexible wide bridge structure embedded in the polymer can cope with the large bending deformation of PSC with good conductive property, while the rigid thin island structure ensures the high acoustic performance of piezoelectric materials. A PSC sample is prepared with its structural parameters optimized via finite element analysis and is experimentally verified to have good flexibility, high electromechanical coupling coefficient (k t = 0.7), great thermal stability (from 25 to 105 °C), and bending stability (bending angle up to 215°). In addition, a preparation method for flexible 1-3 PSC is introduced, which has the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, no sample size restriction, and no high-temperature operation. The flexible 1-3 PSC in this work paves an important way for the development and application of the next generation of flexible underwater acoustic transducers.

A High-Performance Flexible Hydroacoustic Transducer Based on 1-3 PZT-5A/Silicone Rubber Composite

“…The k t of the FPC is negatively correlated with the volume fraction (Figure 3c), indicating that the electroacoustic energy conversion efficiency of the FPC decreases with the increase in the volume fraction. On the other hand, the influence of aspect ratio on the FPC performance has been reported in reference [25] and exhibits similar results to volume fraction. In conclusion, the volume fraction and aspect ratio of the PZT-5A in the FPC should be moderate to meet the requirements of low frequency, high sound radiation, and high electroacoustic energy conversion efficiency of the FPCHT.…”

PVDF/ZnO piezoelectric nanofibers designed for monitoring of internal micro-pressure

“…[11][12][13][14][15] Nevertheless, the current drawback lies in the limited piezoelectric performance of available organic materials, hampering their efficacy in converting internal micro-pressure into a discernible piezoelectric signal for biomedical applications in vivo. 16,17 Addressing this challenge necessitates the implementation of an effective strategy for fabricating ultrahigh-performance organic piezoelectric materials with exceptional biocompatibility. This strategic imperative stands as a pivotal factor in propelling the future development of implantable micro-pressure sensors.…”

Study on pile-soil bonding condition based on transient shock response using piezoceramic sensors

“…21–24 A piezoceramic smart aggregate (SA) was introduced to protect the fragile piezoceramic transducer for applications in concrete structures. 25 Piezoceramic sensors have been used to detect damage of concrete structures, 25–29 metal structures, 30,31 composite structures, 32,33 etc. In addition, Active sensing method has been applied to health monitoring of various civil buildings.…”