Modeling by Finite Element Method of an Ultrasonic Lead Free Piezoelectric Actuator

GIBBS, F.; RAMAJO, L.; RUBIO-MARCOS, F.; CASTRO, M; DIFEO, M.; AL CAVALIERI,

Panamá

Congreso; Pan American Ceramics Congress and Ferroelectrics Meeting of Americas (PACC-FMAs 2022); 2022

The American Ceramic Society

The industry has shown interest in ultrasonic piezoelectric actuators and ultrasonic drives. Piezoelectric ultrasonic actuators make possible systems that are of simple design and are thus finding wider and wider application in micropositioning systems. Especially advantageous and cost-efficient systems can be made with ultrasonic actuators having a rectangular piezoceramic plate as a resonator and using eigenmodes associated with that shape. In this way, the most widely used piezoelectric ceramic is lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT). However, the growing awareness of environmental and health issues, related to the toxic emissions of PbO from PZT-based products, has triggered widespread scientific interest in developing novel efficient lead-free alternatives. Three main groups of lead-free perovskite ferroelectric oxides have henceforth been considered as environment-friendly alternatives to PZT piezoceramics. These include sodium-potassium niobate, sodium bismuth titanate, and modified barium titanate. Nevertheless, it is well known that excellent electro-deformation characteristics can be obtained using a piezoelectric material based on (K0.44Na0.52Li0.04)(Nb0.86Ta0.1Sb0.04) (KNL-NTS). In this work, the ultrasonic response of a KNL-NTS –based piezoceramic resonator, synthesized by the solid-reaction method, was modeled by the Finite Element Method (FEM). The vibration mode and resonance frequency of the device were determined