Piezoelectric transducers on the basis of free-formed PZT components

Structural devices with integrated adaptive functions are demanded in lightweight engineering especially in automotive and aerospace industries and mechanical engineering. As base of such systems, piezocomposites are of high interest. They can be made from piezoceramic components, e.g. plates, fibers, or more complex three-dimensional structures, integrated into matrix materials. We developed the polysulfone spinning process as an appropriate technique to produce dense piezoceramic components with different shapes. The paper reports on fabrication and properties of PZT fibers, fiber fragments and spherical samples (pearls). Potential applications of customized PZT components for smart structures and ultrasonic transducers are shown.