Abstract
The preparation process of piezoelectric composites with glass matrix as non piezoelectric phase and Ca-modified Lead Titanate Ceramics is presented. The obtained results show that these 1-3 connectivity composites have piezoelectric properties and figures of merit similar to those of their polymer counterparts. Therefore, they can be considered as alternative materials to the conventional polymer matrix composites for special uses at higher temperatures or in chemically agresive enviroments. There also exists the possibility of preparing different geometries by molding the composite at the softening temperature of the glass.
In the description of the composite preparation process, the problem of the thermomechanical matching between constituents phases is discussed and the influence of the crystalline anisotropy and microstructure of the piezoelectric ceramics is taken into account.