Momentum - The Magazine for Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Vol. 1 No. 4 | Page 17

the new material is more than three times as sensitive
to mechanical input compared to other piezoelectric
ceramics.

The material is also stable at high temperatures,
making it useful for automotive or aerospace
applications.

These additions can be easily incorporated into the
standard procedures that are already used to manufacture these materials industrially.

Companies are already working with Virginia Tech to
apply the texturing technique in their manufacturing
facilities.

“That’s the beauty of this research: we didn’t have
to change what people are already using,” said Priya.
“We used exactly the same machine, the same process, the same chemicals — all we do is mix this small
seed crystal in the powder. But the end result is that
99 percent or more of the grains are aligned. And
that gives you a 300 to 500 percent improvement in
properties.”

“We are hoping that this manufacturing process
can offer U.S. companies a way to capture some new
markets and design some really competitive devices,”
Priya said.
Priya’s group has also developed lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, which could reduce the environmental impact of these materials.