Smart 1-3 composites for ultrasonic transducer applications

1-3 piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites, consisting of parallel ceramic rods embedded in a polymer matrix, can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. Thus they are regarded as smart (or intelligent) materials because they can sense changes in the environment and actuate a desired response. In order to design devices based on 1-3 composites, a good understanding of the piezoelectric properties and resonance characteristics is required. This paper reports the fabrication and piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/epoxy and samarium and manganese doped lead titanate (PsmT) fibre/epoxy 1-3 composites. Selected studies of the applications of these 1-3 composites in the Centre for Smart Materials (CSM) at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University are also reported