A piezoelectric ceramic/rubber composite comprising linearly aligned Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) particles as pillars in a silicon rubber matrix was fabricated. The optimum fabrication conditions of pseudo 1–3 composites (referred to as “aligned-type” composites) were evaluated as the functions of the electric field strength and the piezoelectric particle size. The piezoelectric strain constant d₃₃, which represents the value of the electric charge per unit force generated from a piezoelectric material, and the ratio of the number of particles involved in the alignments (RPIA) to all particles in an RPIA sample were used to quantitatively evaluate the composites. The d₃₃ exhibited linear dependence on the piezoelectric particle size and a non-linear dependence on the RPIA. The RPIA depended on both the electric field strength and particle size. The electric field strength dependency of the RPIA exhibited a maximum at approximately 2 kV/mm. The optimum condition for the fabrication of the aligned-type piezoelectric rubber composite was achieved an electric field strength of 2.0 kV/mm with larger PZT particles.

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