Time dependence of effective properties of polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramics

In this paper, based on Merz[7] experimental results and classical nucleation theory, a micromechanics statistical model is proposed to describe the relation between the special microstructure-level evolution phenomena-domain switching and macro-response. The polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramics treated as a composition of switched domain and unswitched domain, the approaches of Eshelby's equivalent inclusion and Mori-Tanaka's mean field theory are used to analyze and predict its effective electroelastic properties. The model can incorporate the effects of time dependence of domain switching and shape of individual crystalline. To the BaTiO₃ polycrystalline ceramics, the analytical results are in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Numerical investigations of field-defect interactions in piezoelectric ceramics

The interactions of electro-elastic fields with voids and cracks contained in a piezoelectric solid are addressed both in closed form and numerically. The numerical algorithm, based on finite elements, is used to generate results that compare very well with available analytical solutions. Through the numerical results, it is shown that the simplified impermeable and the exact electric boundary conditions lead to the same result when the hole is open, but differ significantly when the hole is rather slender or becomes a mathematical crack. For the latter situations, the finite element meshes must be very structured and progressive, and special care must be taken with the resolution. It is also shown that the geometry of the void, the nature of the materials inside and outside the void, and the assumed electric boundary conditions play a significant role in the quantitative and qualitative nature of the elastic and electric field distributions in the neighborhood of the void’s tip, thus all being important in the design of electromechanical devices and structures. The development of the finite elements described in the article goes far beyond its usage as a validation tool. Rather, we show that it is an effective and accurate tool to address problems far complicated to be solved in closed form.     

A theoretical study of the coupling effects in piezoelectric ceramics

The objective of this study is to delineate electro-mechanical coupling in piezoceramic materials. The model system investigated is a two-dimensional linear piezoceramic strip polarized in the thickness direction, and it is subjected to local symmetric pressures on the upper and lower edges, traction-free boundary conditions on both end surfaces, and voltages on portions of the upper and lower edges. Under a simplifying assumption of the gradient of the electric potential, closed form solutions of the elastic field have been obtained. It is noticed that instead of the nine constants (including the elastic compliance constants, s_{i j}, the piezoelectric constants, d_{i j}, and the dielectric permittivity constants, ε_{i j}) , the elastic and piezoelectric characteristics of the material can be represented by three parameters, β₁, β₂ and β₃. β₁ consists of elastic compliance constants only. β₂ and β₃ signify the piezoelectric effect. Furthermore, higher values of β₂ imply a more pronounced piezoelectric effect on the elastic field. The identification of these parameters greatly facilitates the study of coupling effects in piezoelectric ceramics.     

Damage analysis and fracture criteria for piezoelectric ceramics

Both the mechanical and the electrical damages are introduced to study fracture mechanics of piezoelectric ceramics in this paper. Two kinds of piezoelectric fracture criteria are proposed by using the damage theory combined with the well-known piezoelectric fracture experiments of Park and Sun [Fracture criteria of piezoelectric ceramics, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 78 (1995) 1475-1480]. One is based on a critical state of the mechanical damage and the other on a critical value of a proper linear combination of both the mechanical and the electrical damage variables. It is found that the fracture load predicted, which takes the mechanical damage into account only (mode 1), has greater deviation than predicted result by considering a proper linear combination of the mechanical and the electrical damages (mode 2). And the fracture criterion corresponding to mode 2 presented is shown to be superior to mode 1. It is also demonstrated that the mechanical damage has greater effect on fracture than the electrical damage.     

Effects of static electric field on the fracture behavior of piezoelectric ceramics

The paper gives an overview on experimental observations of the failure behavior of electrically insulating and conducting cracks in piezoelectric ceramics. The experiments include the indentation fracture test, the bending test on smooth samples, and the fracture test on pre-notched (or pre-cracked) compact tension samples. For electrically insulating cracks, the experimental results show a complicated fracture behavior under electrical and mechanical loading. Fracture data are much scattered when a static electric field is applied. A statistically based fracture criterion is required. For electrically conducting cracks, the experimental results demonstrate that static electric fields can fracture poled and depoled lead zirconate titanate ceramics and that the concepts of fracture mechanics can be used to measure the electrical fracture toughness. Furthermore, the electrical fracture toughness is much higher than the mechanical fracture toughness. The highly electrical fracture toughness arises from the greater energy dissipation around the conductive crack tip under purely electric loading, which is impossible under mechanical loading in the brittle ceramics. The project supported by an RGC grant from the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China     

Multiscale behavior of crack initiation and growth in piezoelectric ceramics

The multiscale nature of cracking in ferroelectric ceramics is explored in relation to the crack growth enhancement and retardation behavior when the direction of applied electric field is reversed with reference to that of poling. An a priori knowledge of the prevailing fracture behavior is invoked for the energy dissipated in exchange of the macro- and micro-crack surface. To avoid the formalism of developing a two-scale level model, a single dominant crack is considered where the effect of microcracking could be reflected by stable crack growth prior to macro-crack instability. This is accounted for via a length ratio parameter λ. Micro- and macro-crack damage region would necessarily overlap in the simplified approach of applying equilibrium mechanics solutions to different scale ranges that are connected only on the average over space and time. The strain energy density theory is applied to determine the crack growth segments for conditions of positive, negative and zero electric field. The largest and smallest crack segments were found to correspond, respectively, to the positive and negative field. All of the three piezoceramics PZT-4, PZT-5H and P-7 followed such a trend. This removes the present-day controversy arising from the use of the energy release rate concept that yields results independent of the sign of the electric field. Interaction of non-similar crack growth with the direction of electric field is also discussed in relation to Mode II cracking. The crack initiation angle plays a dominant role when the growth segment is sufficiently small. Otherwise, a more complex situation prevails where consideration should also be given to the growth segment length. Failure stresses of Modes I and II cracking are also obtained and they are found to depend not only on the electric field density but also on crack length and the extent of slow crack growth damage. These findings suggest a series of new experiments.     

Fracture prediction for piezoelectric ceramics based on the electric field saturation concept

The electrical field saturation model is applied to the fracture prediction of piezoelectric materials containing electrically impermeable cracks. This model is analogously similar to the electric displacement saturation model that available in the literature. An electrical field saturation strip near the crack front is introduced in the analytical model. The stress intensity factor K and the energy release rate G are obtained in closed-form. It is found that fracture predictions based on K and G criteria are identical. Fracture predictions based on the electric field saturation model and the electric displacement model are also found to be the same.     

Temperature dependence of slip coefficients

The structural dependence of the slip coefficient on the temperature is obtained. It is shown that the dependence usually employed is valid only for molecules with interaction described by a power law.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 186–188, January–February, 1982.     

Effective constants and electromechanical coupling coefficients of unidirectionally reinforced piezoelectric ceramics

Institute of Mechanics, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 31–42, March, 1992.     

Effect of electric displacement saturation on the hysteretic behavior of ferroelectric ceramics and the initiation and propagation of cracks in piezoelectric ceramics

This paper presents a computational investigation of a proposed simplified account for electric displacement saturation on the hysteretic behavior of initially unpoled ferroelectric ceramics as well as on the initiation and propagation of cracks in poled ferroelectric ceramics within the linear regime of piezoelectricity. For the latter case, experimental observations suggest an odd dependency of the onset of crack initiation in these brittle materials on the orientation of the applied electric field with respect to their poling direction which contradicts theoretical results which propose an even dependency of the energy release rate on the applied electric field within the framework of anisotropic linear piezoelectricity. Electric non-linearities arising at regions of inhomogeneities such as inclusions or at the crack tip are proposed in the literature to avoid this discrepancy. Electric displacement saturation is one such non-linear effect which is investigated in this work. A simplified account of this effect is proposed based on an exponential saturation model of the identified material parameters which can be related to this non-linearity. Its advantage over the superposition of a complex function onto the singular solution of a crack within the framework of linear piezoelectricity lies in the straightforward extension of the proposed approach to problems where no analytical solutions exist. This is outlined based on its incorporation into a rate-dependent ferroelectric model accounting for polarization switching as well as based on its incorporation into a finite element framework capable of simulating the initiation and propagation of cracks in piezoelectric ceramics through strong discontinuities in the displacement field and the electric potential. It is shown that besides the determination of the crack initiation onset also the crack propagation direction is influenced by the appearance of saturation zones arising at the crack tip normal to the polarization direction. The numerically obtained crack paths are found to be close to the experimentally reported results.     

Energy density theory formulation and interpretation of cracking behavior for piezoelectric ceramics

Any attempt made to separate energy into electrical and mechanical parts may lead to inconsistencies as they do not necessarily decouple. This is illustrated by application of the energy density function in the linear theory of piezoelasticity. By assuming that a critical energy density function prevails at the onset of crack initiation, it is possible to establish the relative size of an inner and outer damage zone around the crack tip; they correspond to the ligaments at failure caused by pure electric field and pure mechanical load. On physical grounds, the relative size of these zones must depend on the relative magnitude of the mechanical and electrical load. Hence, they can vary in size depending on the electromechanical material and damage resistance properties. Numerical results are obtained for the PZT-4, PZT-5H, and P-7 piezoelectric ceramics. These two ligaments for the two damage zones may coincide for appropriate values of the applied electrical field and mechanical load.Explicit expression of the energy density factor S is derived showing the mixed mode electromechanical coupling effects. The factor S can increase or decrease depending on the direction of the applied electric field with reference to the poling direction. This is in contrast to the result obtained from the energy release rate quantity, which remains unchanged for electric field in the direction of poling or against it.     

Analysis of electric boundary condition effects on crack propagation in piezoelectric ceramics

There are three types of cracks: impermeable crack, permeable crack and conducting crack, with different electric boundary conditions on faces of cracks in piezoelectric ceramics, which poses difficulties in the analysis of piezoelectric fracture problems. In this paper, in contrast to our previous FEM formulation, the numerical analysis is based on the used of exact electric boundary conditions at the crack faces, thus the common assumption of electric impermeability in the FEM analysis is avoided. The crack behavior and elasto-electric fields near a crack tip in a PZT-5 piezoelectric ceramic under mechanical, electrical and coupled mechanical-electrical loads with different electric boundary conditions on crack faces are investigated. It is found that the dielectric medium between the crack faces will reduce the singularity of stress and electric displacement. Furthermore, when the permittivity of the dielectric medium in the crack gap is of the same order as that of the piezoelectric ceramic, the crack becomes a conducting crack, the applied electric field has no effect on the crack propagation. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19672026, 19891180)     

考虑挠曲电效应的压电纳米薄板力-电-热耦合特性研究

摘要：挠曲电效应是由应变梯度引起的,与尺度相关的力电耦合效应。基于Kirchhoff板假设和挠曲电理论,本文推导了温度和电压作用下的压电薄板力-电-热耦合微分控制方程,定量分析了微分控制方程中非线性项的影响,并针对四周固支压电薄板采用Ritz法求解,数值计算了压电薄板的弯曲和振动行为。在研究温度和挠曲电效应对薄板耦合特性和力学行为的影响时,本文分别考虑了材料系数不随温度变化和随温度线性变化两种情况。以PZT-5H为例,我们讨论了挠曲电和温度对压电薄板的横向位移和固有频率的影响。研究结果表明挠曲电效应对压电纳米薄板的力学行为影响很大,且具有明显的尺寸效应。此外,薄板对温度变化非常敏感。因此,可通过挠曲电效应和温度来调控压电纳米薄板的多场耦合特性和力学行为,进而优化基于压电薄板的NEMS/MEMS中传感器、作动器等电子器件的性能。     

考虑挠曲电效应的压电纳米薄板力-电-热耦合特性研究

挠曲电效应是由应变梯度引起的,与尺度相关的力电耦合效应.基于Kirchhoff板假设和挠曲电理论,论文推导了温度和电压作用下的压电薄板力-电-热耦合微分控制方程,定量分析了微分控制方程中非线性项的影响,并针对四周固支压电薄板采用Ritz法求解,数值计算了压电薄板的弯曲和振动行为.在研究温度和挠曲电效应对薄板耦合特性和力学行为的影响时,论文分别考虑了材料系数不随温度变化和随温度线性变化两种情况.以PZT-5H为例,作者讨论了挠曲电和温度对压电薄板的横向位移和固有频率的影响.研究结果表明挠曲电效应对压电纳米薄板的力学行为影响很大,且具有明显的尺寸效应.此外,薄板对温度变化非常敏感.因此,可通过挠曲电效应和温度来调控压电纳米薄板的多场耦合特性和力学行为,进而优化基于压电薄板的NEMS/MEMS中传感器、作动器等电子器件的性能.     

PZT压电陶瓷高温变形与失效的实验研究

随着工业设备集成化进程的加快,PZT压电陶瓷获得越来越广泛的应用,其工作环境也越来越复杂.例如,新一代节能环保型发动机中起致动作用的压电陶瓷叠层驱动器,工作时要承受力-热-电载荷的共同作用.因此,研究PZT压电陶瓷在高温下的变形与失效行为,对工业设计具有重要的指导意义.为此,本文利用自行搭建的压电陶瓷高温下电滞回线、蝶形回线和应力退极化曲线的测试装置,研究了PZT压电陶瓷在不同温度下的电致变形和应力退极化行为,得到了材料在不同温度下的电滞回线、蝶形回线、应力电位移曲线和应力应变曲线.实验结果表明,随着温度的升高,由电滞回线测得的剩余极化逐渐减小,蝶形回线逐渐变扁;由应力退极化产生的剩余极化和剩余应变也逐渐减小.极化量的改变是由材料的热释电效应(自发极化随温度的升高而减小)造成的,而应变量的变化是由晶胞畸变随着温度升高而减小所致.     

Anti-plane shear crack normal to and terminating at the interface of two bonded piezoelectric ceramics

The electroelastic analysis of two bonded dissimilar piezoelectric ceramics with a crack perpendicular to and terminating at the interface is made. By using Fourier integral transform, the associated boundary value problem is reduced to a singular integral equation with generalized Cauchy kernel, the solution of which is given in closed form. Results are presented for a permeable crack under anti-plane shear loading and in-plane electric loading. Obtained results indicate that the electroelastic field near the crack tip in the homogeneous piezoelectric ceramic is dominated by a traditional inverse square-root singularity, while the electroelastic field near the crack tip at the interface exhibits the singularity of power law r^−α, r being distance from the interface crack tip and α depending on the material constants of a bi-piezoceramic. In particular, electric field has no singularity at the crack tip in a homogeneous solid, whereas it is singular around the interface crack tip. Numerical results are given graphically to show the effects of the material properties on the singularity order and field intensity factors.     

Electrically driven cracks in piezoelectric ceramics: experiments and fracture mechanics analysis

Piezoelectric systems like multilayer actuators are susceptible to damage by crack propagation induced by strain incompatibilities. These can arise under electric fields for example between the electroded and external regions. Such incompatibilities have been realised in thin rectangular model specimens from PZT-piezoelectric ceramics with top and bottom electrodes only close to one edge. Under an electric field, controlled crack propagation has been observed in situ in an optical microscope. The crack paths are reproducible with very high accuracy. Small electrode widths lead to straight cracks with two transitions between stable and unstable crack growth regions, while large electrode widths result in curved cracks with four transitions. Fracture mechanics analysis is able to explain the different crack paths. An iteration method is developed to simulate the curved crack propagation also for strong curvature of the crack paths using the finite element method. The computed crack contours exhibit excellent quantitative agreement with the experiment with respect to their shape, the stages of stable and unstable crack propagation and the transitions between them. Finally, also the crack length as a function of the electric field can be predicted.