HomeResearchResearch linesEnergy and mechatronicsFerroelectric, antiferroelectric, piezoelectric materials

Ferroelectric, antiferroelectric, piezoelectric materials

Principal investigators: Elisa Mercadelli

Involved personnel: Carmen Galassi, Claudio Capiani, Carlo Baldiserri, Paola Pinasco

The research on perovskitic materials with ferroelectric, antiferroelectric, piezoelectric properties ranges from the optimization of the whole device production process (from the powders synthesis to their forming/sintering and subsequent functional characterization) to the study of physical phenomena at the base of their particular performance in the context of consolidated national and international collaborations.
In this direction, CNR-ISTEC is a point of reference for numerous studies thanks to its consolidated experience in the production of active components (poled) to be integrated into mechanics and dedicated electronics.

Compositions in which ferroelectric and antiferreolectric phases coexist are currently rediscovered for energy storage, high deformation actuators, electrocaloric effect.

Piezoelectric materials and components in the lead zirconate / titanate (PZT) and lanthanum (PLZT) systems are developed, but an increasing attention is devoted to lead-free compositions, such as bismuth sodium barium titanate (BNBT), barium strontium titanate (BST), potassium-sodium niobate (KNN) and barium-sodium titanate zirconate (BCTZ) synthesized via traditional and chemical methods.

Massive (dense or porous), thick film components are developed for specific low and high power applications over a wide frequency range. Prototypes of bulk and multi-layer piezoelectric actuators and sensors, voltage transformers, transducers can
be developed (designed and manufactured).

Fields of application: active vibration suppression, energy harvesting, underwater acoustics, wearable devices, etc.

Equipment and processes

  • Powder synthesis by solid-state reaction
  • Shaping  by tape casting, screen printing, electrophoretic deposition
  • Consolidation with dedicated thermal cycles
  • Machining
  • Electrode deposition
  • Poling
  • Characterization of ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties
Ferroelectric, antiferroelectric, piezoelectric materials
Ferroelectric, antiferroelectric and piezoelectric materials

Main partners

Publications and Patents

  • F. Sorgini, A. Mazzoni, L. Massari, R. Caliò, C. Galassi, S. L. Kukreja, E. Sinibaldi, M. C. Carrozza, C. M. Oddo Encapsulation of piezoelectric transducers for sensory augmentation and substitution with wearable haptic devices Micromachines 2017, 8, 270; doi:10.3390/mi8090270
  • F. Cordero, F. Craciun, F. Trequattrini, P. Galizia, and C. Galassi, Elastic aging from coexistence and transformations of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric states in PZT, Journal of Applied Physics 120, 064104 (2016) DOI information: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4960702
  • I.V. Ciuchi, L. Mitoseriu and C. Galassi Energy storage properties of PLZT ceramics with La compositions across FE/AFE phase boundary J. Am Ceram Soc 99 [7] 2382–2387 (2016)
  • R. Stanculescu, C. E. Ciomaga, L. Padurariu, P. Galizia, N. Horchidan, C. Capiani, C. Galassi, L. Mitoseriu Study of the role of porosity on the functional properties of (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics Journal of Alloys and Compounds 643 (2015) 79–87
  • F. Craciun, F. Cordero, I. V. Ciuchi, L. Mitoseriu, and C. Galassi, Refining the phase diagram of Pb1-xLax(Zr0.9Ti0.1)1-x/4O3 ceramics by structural, dielectric and anelastic spectroscopy investigations Journal of Applied Physics 117, 184103 (2015); doi: 10.1063/1.4921111
  • WO2017122159 (A1) ― 2017-07-20    ENCAPSULATED TRANSDUCER FOR HAPTIC INTERFACES Trasduttore integrabile per applicazioni aptiche INVENTORI: Francesca Sorgini, Renato Caliò, Christian Cipriani, Maria Chiara Carrozza, Calogero Oddo, Carmen Galassi Data di deposito: 13.01.2016