Effect of piezoelectric ceramic particles size gradation on piezoelectric properties of 0–3 cement-based piezoelectric composites

The piezoelectric ceramic particles as functional elements of the 0-3 cement-based piezoelectric composites notably play an important role on the performance of the composites. In this paper, the piezoelectric ceramic particles were designed to have a maximum size of 300 mu m and different gradations matching the Fuller index q from 0.33 to 0.7. The effect of piezoelectric ceramic particles size gradation on piezoelectric and dielectric properties was investigated. Results reveal that with the increase in q value, the piezoelectric constant shows an initial increase and then decreases at a transition point of 0.5, while the dielectric constant and dissipation factor keep increasing. A particle gradation with the 0.5 Fuller index q produces the closest packing, evidenced by the highest bulk density and the lowest water absorption. This may explain the best piezoelectric properties of 0-3 cement-based piezoelectric composites.