Advanced Ferroelectric Materials for Explosive Pulsed Power for Missiles and Munitions

Polarized-Cast Saturated Polymer (PCSP) FEG working bodies will use state-of-art ferroelectric materials such as PZT 95/5 to demonstrate their first order device characteristics. During this effort, a demonstration of this new ferroelectric material’s performance will be quantified using explosive testing. The goal is to develop a highly producible ferroelectric material with high surface charge density and superior hold-off field strength in presence of explosive shock loads and high tolerance to g-forces. PCSP FEG technology will provide a path to high rate manufacturing of FEG working bodies that might include such processes as mass autoclave curing and/or high rate pressure molding. This effort will provide a mechanism for research and understanding of advanced PCSP structures to provide insight into how to design and optimize these structures’ performance for FEG-related highly energetic applications. This research is expected to be the basis for a new category of inexpensive, highly producible ferroelectric materials for use as FEG working bodies.