Abstract
Fabrication and applications of Pb(Nb,Ni)O_3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O_3 (PNN-PZT) piezoelectric ceramic fibers with a metal core is introduced. The green fibers were fabricated by extruding a mixture of PNN-PZT powder and organic solvent together with a 50 μm Pt core. Fibers of 250 μm in diameter and a few centimeters long are obtained without any cracks after sintered at 1200℃. The core is precisely located at the center of the fibers. The boundary of the PNN-PZT ceramics and the Pt core was investigated by cutting the fiber along the cross-section and the longitudinal direction, and observing them with a scanning electron microscope. The ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity of a single fiber were confirmed. The polarization versus electric field relationship was measured by a Radiant RT-6000 and the result exhibits the typical ferroelectricity of the PNN-PZT material. The strain versus electric field relationship also shows the typical hysteresis of piezoelectric materials due to the d_3 effect. The sensor and actuator functions of the fibers are confirmed by bonding three fibers on a composite beam. The vibration sensor using a single fiber was also developed.
