Patent Application
20130285510
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to piezoelectric composite material, and in particular to a method for manufacturing piezoelectric composite material.
2. Description of Related Art
The traditional piezoelectric material is typically in bulk form, and is rigid and fragile, so that there is a limitation of electromechanical conversion output of the traditional piezoelectric material and cannot be easily applied in various applications. However, the piezoelectric composite material has excellent piezoelectric property of piezoelectric ceramics and flexibility of polymer, and thus can enhance piezoelectric property and mechanical property for using widely in various fields.
There are several kinds of method for manufacturing piezoelectric composite material such as laser cutting-filling, injection molding, ejection molding and piezoelectric ceramics fiber arrangement casting. The laser cutting-filling may first form multiple pillars by using laser ray to cut multiple lateral grooves and multiple longitudinal grooves that cross over the lateral grooves on a piezoelectric ceramics bulk, and then fill polymer in the grooves to form piezoelectric composite material. Compared to diamond knife cutting-filling, the laser cutting-filling is provided with several advantages of high preciseness, without contact and easy manipulation. However, the method has the disadvantages that the equipment cost is high and heat produced from the laser ray may fracture ceramics material and affect the structure and property of material.
The injection molding may first form piezoelectric ceramics pillars array by using a syringe with multiple tubular outlets on a piezoelectric ceramics bulk, and proceed sintering, and then fill polymer in the array to form piezoelectric composite material. The injection molding is provided with an advantage of flexible control of size, distribution and volume content of piezoelectric ceramics pillars. However, the method has the disadvantages that the structure of the syringe is complicated and the length of the piezoelectric ceramics pillar is limited.
The ejection molding may first eject to form piezoelectric ceramics pillars array by using a mold having multiple pillar recesses on a piezoelectric ceramics bulk, and proceed sintering, and then fill polymer in the array to form piezoelectric composite material. The ejection molding is provided with advantages that the mold is easy to manufacture and has low price. However, the method has the disadvantages that the thermal stress of sintering is easy to collapse the piezoelectric ceramics pillars as the diameter of the piezoelectric ceramics pillar is below 100 microns.
The piezoelectric ceramics fiber arrangement casting first have to manufacture piezoelectric ceramics fibers, and provide and arrange the piezoelectric ceramics fibers in a mold according to a predetermined volume content, and provide a polymer, for example epoxy, in the mold to imbed the piezoelectric ceramics fibers. An type 1-3 piezoelectric composite material is obtained after curing and ejecting. The piezoelectric ceramics fiber arrangement casting has advantages that the method is a simple process, fiber volume content is easy to control and air pore rate is low. Therefore, the method is suitable for making sensors with high performance and drivers, and so on.
Currently, several manufacturing methods of piezoelectric ceramic fibers have been proposed, for example sol-gel method, VSSP and extruding method. In the extruding method, a piezoelectric ceramic powder, an adhesive and a cross-linking agent are mixed to form a polymer sol. The polymer sol is extruded into a piezoelectric ceramic green fiber by an extruder. The piezoelectric ceramic green fiber is dried and sintered to form a piezoelectric ceramic fiber. Although the method is simple, low cost and no environmental pollution, the piezoelectric ceramic fiber cannot smoothly extrude and has poor plasticity.
Further, the type 1-3 piezoelectric composite material comprises two phases, a one-directional communicating piezoelectric ceramic fibers phase parallel imbedding in a three-directional communicating polymer matrix phase. The power of piezoelectric power generating device can be raised by increasing the size of piezoelectric power generating element. There is a need for a piezoelectric power generating element that can produce high power and the element does not cause cracks on the surface after vibrating for a long time.
Therefore, the inventor conducted researches according to the scientific approach in order to improve and resolve the above drawback, and finally proposed the present invention, which is reasonable and effective.
An object of the invention is to provide a method for fabricating piezoelectric composite material. The method can smoothly extrude the piezoelectric ceramic fibers that have excellent plasticity. Also, the invention provides a piezoelectric composite material to manufacture a piezoelectric power generating element that can produce high power and the element does not cause cracks on the surface after vibrating for a long time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a piezoelectric power generating device comprising a piezoelectric power generating element made from the piezoelectric composite material.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a method for fabricating piezoelectric composite material comprising steps of mixing a piezoelectric ceramic powder, an adhesive, a cross-linking agent, a lubricant and a plasticizer to form a slurry; extruding the slurry to form a piezoelectric ceramic green fiber; sintering the piezoelectric ceramic green fiber to form the piezoelectric ceramic fiber; arranging the piezoelectric ceramic fiber in a mold according to a predetermined volumetric content; and adding a polymer into the mode to form a polymer matrix of piezoelectric composite material.
Also, the invention relates to a piezoelectric power generating device including a supporting part; a metal plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite each other, the metal plate having an end fixed in the supporting part; and at least one piezoelectric power generating element adjacent to the first surface and/or the second surface, the piezoelectric power generating element made of the piezoelectric composite material.
Compared with the prior arts, the invention provides the method can smoothly extrude the piezoelectric ceramic fibers that have excellent plasticity by adding the lubricant and the plasticizer. Also, the invention provides a piezoelectric composite material with suitable ratio of two phases to manufacture a piezoelectric power generating element that can produce high power and the element does not cause cracks on the surface after vibrating for a long time. The piezoelectric power generating element can be used in manufacturing a piezoelectric power generating device. Advantageously, the method is a simple, low cost process with no pollutions. The method may be applied in the manufacture of thin and long piezoelectric power generating element.
The technical content of invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a few figures. However, the figures are intended solely for illustration and not to limit the inventive concept.
Please refer to
The piezoelectric ceramic powder may be expressed by ABO3, wherein A is Pb, Ba, La, Sr, K, or Li, and B is Ti, Zr, Mn, Co, Nb, Fe, Zn, Mg, Y, Sn, Ni, or W. In an embodiment of the present invention, a particle size of the piezoelectric ceramic powder is between 0.1 and 1.0 μm and the piezoelectric ceramic powder is in an amount of 70 wt %-95 wt %.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a suitable adhesive may be methyl cellulose group, for example methyl cellulose or hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose; poly vinyl alcohol group, for example poly vinyl alcohol, poly vinyl acetate; and poly acrylate. The adhesive is in an amount of 3.5˜20 wt %.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a cross-linking agent may be a solution comprising boric acid, borate, phosphate, silicate or aluminate. The borate may be sodium borate or potassium borate. The phosphate may be sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate or manganese phosphate. The silicate may be sodium silicate, potassium silicate or aluminum silicate. The aluminate may be sodium aluminate or potassium aluminate. The cross-linking agent may be an aqueous solution in a concentration between 0.005 and 0.05 M. The cross-linking agent is in an amount of 0.5˜5 wt %. The cross-linking agent may produce alkali hydroxides with charges as it is dissolved in water, and the hydroxides may cross-link with the adhesive to form a three dimensional network containing the ceramic powder. A compact composite structure with three dimensional network may be form after a spontaneous dehydration reaction.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the suitable lubricant is glycerol or dipropylene glycol. The lubricant is in an amount of 0.5˜2.5 wt %. It can facilitate extrusion by adding a proper amount of lubricant and prevent from sticking on the inner wall and holes of the extruder.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the plasticizer may be selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl ethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol and benzyl alcohol. The plasticizer is in an amount of 0.5˜2.5 wt %. It can improve plasticity of the fibers to meet the requirement by adding a proper amount of plasticizer.
Next, referring to step 102 in
Next, referring to step 106 in
Next, referring to step 108 in
Next, referring to step 110 in
After determining, the piezoelectric ceramic fiber has a diameter of 250 microns, a length from 70 to 100 mm, roundness tolerance of 0.07+0.001 microns/mm, straightness tolerance of 0.25 microns/100 mm, sintering density larger than 99% and the piezoelectric strain coefficient d33 larger than 600 p C/N.
Next, referring to step 112 in
Next, referring to step 114 in
The piezoelectric composite material is sliced into a sheet with 2 mm of thickness for determining the property of the piezoelectric composite material. The sheet is polished and then coated with silver electrode. The sheet is polarized under dielectric strength of 1.5˜2.5 kV/mm, temperature of 100° C. and from about 15 minutes to about 25 minutes in silicone oil. The d33 of the piezoelectric composite material is larger than 300 pC/N.
Next, please refer to
Next, please refer to
Next, please refer to
Next, please refer to
The invention is not limited to these embodiments, but various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
