Ceramic piezocomposites: modeling, technology, and characterization

A comprehensive review of microstructure peculiarities, mathematical models, methods of fabrication and measurements, as well as systematic experimental data for different types of ceramic piezocomposites is presented. New families of polymer-free ceramic piezocomposites (composites ceramics/ceramics and ceramics/crystals) with properties combining better parameters of PZT, PN type ceramics, and 1-3 composites are introduced. New damped-by-scattering ceramic piezocomposites, characterized by previously unachievable parameter combinations, are proposed. New material design concepts and fabrication methods for ceramic piezocomposites are considered. Piezoelectric resonance analysis methods for automatic iterative evaluation of complex material parameters, together with the sets of complex constants for different ceramic piezocomposites, are presented. Microstructural and physical mechanisms of losses and dispersion in ceramic piezocomposites, as well as technological aspects for their large-scale manufacture and application in ultrasonic devices are considered.