Abstract :
Dimension, shape and materials’ properties are the most basic characteristics of a piezoelectric ceramic transducer determining the device performance. In our studies better electromechanical and electroacoustic performance was obtained from piezoelectric ceramic itself by creating new designs based on built-in amplification mechanisms obtained through the shape and geometry of the transducer. This approach is called the Macroscale Engineering. Piezoelectric ceramics with thin hollow shell and fiber forms were fabricated by various methods such as slip casting, gel casting and alginate gelation. Additionally, improving materials properties and obtaining single crystal-like performance along preferred directions can be achieved through the fabrication of crystallographically textured piezoceramics, i.e. Microscale Engineering. A combination of alginate gelation and templated grain growth, or gelcasting under magnetic field was used to produce piezoceramics with crystallographic texture.
