Lead-Free Piezoelectric Materials

Book excerpt: Provides in-depth knowledge on lead-free piezoelectrics - for state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly electrical and electronic devices! Lead zirconate titanate ceramics have been market-dominating due to their excellent properties and flexibility in terms of compositional modifications. Driven by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive, there is a growing concern on the toxicity of lead. Therefore, numerous research efforts were devoted to lead-free piezoelectrics from the beginning of this century. Great progress has been made in the development of high-performance lead-free piezoelectric ceramics which are already used, e.g., for power electronics applications. Lead-Free Piezoelectric Materials provides an in-depth overview of principles, material systems, and applications of lead-free piezoelectric materials. It starts with the fundamentals of piezoelectricity and lead-free piezoelectrics. Then it discusses four representative lead-free piezoelectric material systems from background introduction to crystal structures and properties. Finally, it presents several applications of lead-free piezoelectrics including piezoelectric actuators, and transducers. The challenges for promoting applications will also be discussed. Highly attractive: Lead-free piezoelectrics address the growing concerns on exclusion of hazardous substances used in electrical and electronic devices in order to protect human health and the environment Thorough overview: Covers fundamentals, different classes of materials, processing and applications Unique: discusses fundamentals and recent advancements in the field of lead-free piezoelectrics Lead-Free Piezoelectric Materials is of high interest for material scientists, electrical and chemical engineers, solid state chemists and physicists in academia and industry.