Near Net-Shape Fabrication of Ultrafine Scale Piezoelectric Ceramic/Polymer Composites.
Abstract
Over the past two years, Materials Systems Inc. (MSI) has demonstrated that net-shape ceramic injection molding is capable of fabricating extremely fine scale 1-3 and 2-2 piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites for Navy and commercial applications. In its last report (1), Materials Systems described modifications to its injection molding process that allow net shape forming of 1-3 piezocomposite transducer preforms having <100 micro m wide PZT elements, and outlined several approaches for further developing the process. Using these approaches, MSI has extended the injection molding capability to include ultrafine scale 2-2 composites having element widths as low as 22 micro m, and has continued refining the process and tooling to achieve larger area 1-3 composites, up to 30mm square. The past twelve months have also seen 1-3 piezocomposites injection molded with high PZT volume fraction (approx. 60-80%). Throughout 1993-94, MSI pursued commercialization of these materials, supplying test prototypes under customer funding to both private-sector and Navy composite end-users. As a result, the electro-acoustic properties of these fine-scale composites have been characterized not only by MSI, but also as transducers in customer-proprietary applications. jg p.3
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA299785