Conceivable Strategies for Making Lead-free Piezoceramics Practical

Abstract

Active researches to develop lead-free piezoceramics in replace of their lead-based counterparts, representatively, PZT, over the last two decades seem to be culminated with the following two generally-accepted conclusions: 1) Few known lead-free piezoceramics can, if any, be as versatile as PZTs and 2) The number of lead-free piezoceramic systems of a potential importance for real world applications is very limited no greater than 3 such as bismuth-sodium-titanate (BNT)-based, potassium-sodium-niobate-based, barium titanate (BT)-based solid solutions. Though generally accepted, they have never been properly rationalized, yet. Facing the given situation, we have done a series of analyses to see if the presumed statement is worth taking. Based on the new conclusions drawn from the analyses, we will discuss possibly adoptable strategies to enable lead-free piezoceramics to be in practical uses.