Defective metal oxides as the next generation of lead-free piezoelectrics for ultrasonic actuators
m-era.net call 2022
We are very happy to be granted the DEMETRA proposal!
The project has been written in collaboration with:
The announcement of the National Science Centre (NCN): LINK
The website of the 2022 call with statistics, results, and other relevant info: LINK
Short information about the project:
Electromechanical smart materials are like muscles that change their size and exert forces under electrical stimuli. They are in sensors and medical devices and are essential for future technologies. Despite their importance, the best-performing material is an old technology: lead-based piezoelectrics, which is highly toxic. A new class of materials, non-classical electrostrictors, have been discovered. These outperform lead-based piezoelectrics and are biocompatible and inexpensive. However, we still need to assess them for "fast" ultrasounds.
Objectives:
#1: Understand how nonclassical electrostrictors work at the atomic level.
#2: Optimise their properties in the ultrasound to prove their industrial competitiveness.
Potential applications: Target applications are echo-scan, lab-on-chip, adaptive lenses and ultrasonic manipulators.
Impact and potential benefits: We will impact society through industrial innovation and environmental sustainability.
The project has been written in collaboration with:
- Prof. Vincenzo Esposito, project coordinator, Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark;
- Prof. Daniel Zanetti de Florio, Federal University of ABC, Brazil;
- Dr. Erling Ringgaard, CTS Ferroperm, Denmark
The announcement of the National Science Centre (NCN): LINK
The website of the 2022 call with statistics, results, and other relevant info: LINK
Short information about the project:
Electromechanical smart materials are like muscles that change their size and exert forces under electrical stimuli. They are in sensors and medical devices and are essential for future technologies. Despite their importance, the best-performing material is an old technology: lead-based piezoelectrics, which is highly toxic. A new class of materials, non-classical electrostrictors, have been discovered. These outperform lead-based piezoelectrics and are biocompatible and inexpensive. However, we still need to assess them for "fast" ultrasounds.
Objectives:
#1: Understand how nonclassical electrostrictors work at the atomic level.
#2: Optimise their properties in the ultrasound to prove their industrial competitiveness.
Potential applications: Target applications are echo-scan, lab-on-chip, adaptive lenses and ultrasonic manipulators.
Impact and potential benefits: We will impact society through industrial innovation and environmental sustainability.
