Lead-free piezoelectric materials of the future
Despite this success, many scientists now want to replace PZT with some as yet undiscovered lead-free material that would be more environmentally benign and that would enable new piezoelectric applications in biological settings. To date, however, no suitable successors have been found. Candidates are typically too feeble in their piezoelectric effect and/or physical durability.
A Swiss scientist, Dragan Damjanovic, thinks researchers should be looking more broadly. He says nearly all of today's efforts are focused on materials whose ions and electrons - the ultimate source of the piezoelectric effect - behave in a particular manner, called polarization rotation. His theoretical calculations have shown that another, overlooked behavior – polarization extension, present in other classes of materials - can also generate an enhanced piezoelectric effect.
An article by Damjanovic in the journal Applied Physics Letters details his ideas and supporting evidence. In particular, he proposes a particular type of phase diagram that he believes will lead to improved, lead-free piezoelectric materials.
Original publication: Dragan Damjanovic; "A morphotropic phase boundary system based on polarization rotation and polarization extension"; Applied Physics Letters 2010.
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