Processing and characterization of sol-gel derived modified PbTiO3for ferroelectric composites

The aim of this work is the preparation and characterisation of ferroelectric polymer/ceramic composites for use as piezoelectric and pyroelectric detectors. We have developed a sol-gel technique for the preparation of lead titanate and modified lead titanate ceramic powders (with calcium and manganese). The preparation of the ferroelectric ceramic powders by the sol-gel technique allows one to obtain pure ceramic powders with controlled morphology. 0-3 composites are made by dispersing ceramic powders on a P(VDF-TrFE) matrix with a volume fraction of 50%. We have prepared composite films with 100 μm thickness with aluminium electrodes on both surfaces, to study their electric, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. The electro-active properties obtained for these composites seem promising for sensor applications.