High Performance Piczoelectric and Electrostrictive

Piezoelectric ceramic sensors and multilayer actuators with enhanced performance are required for applications in health monitoring and active vibration control in space structures. The technology of producing highly reactive submicron perovskite (ABO3) materials known as "reactive calcination" is proposed. Enhanced performance due to processing at temperature<200 degrees Celsius below that of conventional methods, results in fine-grain microstructures (less than or greater than 1 micrometer) with minimal microstructural property dependency. The ability to fabricate ultra-fine grain piezoelectric materials is essential in the fabrication of miniature sensors, e.g. shear or lateral and especially for low voltage multilayer actuators capable of operational voltages less than or greater than 25 volts. In addition, the inherently low processing temperatures offers the potential of low cost 70Ag:30Pd internal electrodes in contrast to platinum. Fabrication and evaluation of Navy Types I and II PZT-based piezoelectric sensors and low power actuators will provide further evidence of the level of performance achievable through enhanced processing.