MORGAN LEADS THE WAY IN PRODUCTION OF LARGE DIMENSION PZT BLOCKS
28/07/2014 Morgan Advanced Materials plc
In a major breakthrough for the technical ceramics industry, Morgan Advanced Materials is manufacturing what are believed to be the world's thickest piezoelectric ceramic blocks.The blocks, designed for use in ultra-low frequency SONAR applications down to 18KHz, are made of high-quality, soft (Navy II) lead zirconate titanate - Morgan's own proprietary formulation, known as PZT5A1. The blocks offer superb electrical characteristics, are of high sintered density and come in a choice of nine, highly sensitive 'soft' PZT formulations. They are suitable for the manufacture of wide bandwidth 1-3 composite transducers.
However, the most striking feature of Morgan's new PZT ceramic blocks is their size, and in particular their thickness, reaching a current maximum of 48mm. Various combinations of length and width are available on request. The ability to manufacture and polarise such large thicknesses of piezoelectric materials sets Morgan apart from its competitors and represents a step change in the industry.
"Our philosophy is to push the boundaries in the manufacture of large piezoelectric components and to support the next generation of ultra-low frequency, high resolution SONAR equipment. I do not know of any other company that is producing piezoelectric components to such demanding thickness specifications," commented Frédéric Pimparel, Technical Manager - Piezoelectric Components at Morgan Advanced Materials.
Large dimension PZT blocks are suited to a range of high-integrity applications, such as side scan SONAR, sub bottom profilers and transducers for surveying systems. The 'soft' PZT from which they are made provides excellent sensitivity and permittivity, which makes it ideal for use in sensing applications requiring a wide bandwidth. Thanks to the cutting-edge pressing and firing techniques employed during manufacture, Morgan's large PZT block boasts a uniform consistency of electro-mechanical properties throughout each component, and can be ground and lapped to precise limits. The large PZT block is available in block form or as diced and filled with specially formulated epoxies for use in 1-3 composites, with a range of metallisation treatments also available.
For more information, please visit: www.morganadvancedmaterials.com/products/engineered-ceramics
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