Dynamic measuring method of velocity and capacitance variation of piezoelectric ceramics with alternating electric field

The development and application of a new dynamic measuring method of velocity and capacitance variation of piezoelectric materials, especially of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics, with an alternating electric field are presented. This method makes it possible to separate the velocity and capacitance variation due to nonlinear effects from that due to temperature change to obtain the adiabatic nonlinear coefficients, to fix the sign of the nonlinear coefficient, and to determine each order of coefficients, separating the orders of the velocity and capacitance variation as a function of the applied electric field