Piezoelectric phenomena
Piezoelectricity is the property possessed by some materials to become electrically charged (generate a voltage) when subjected to a mechanical stress. These materials also show the converse effect by undergoing mechanical deformation with the application of an electric field. The effect was first discovered in 1880 in naturally-occurring single crystals such as quartz. The origin of the piezoelectric effect is related to an asymmetry in the unit cell and the resultant generation of electric dipoles due to mechanical distortion.

Polycrystalline ceramics exhibit piezoelectricity under certain conditions. A remnant polarization can be created in these materials by thermally-assisted alignment of dipoles under an external field.

SensorTech manufactures multicomponent solid ceramics based on several piezoelectric materials, including lead zirconate titanate, lead metaniobate, lead titanate, lead magnesium niobate and modifications of these compositions. These compositions can meet a range of specifications for a wide variety of applications.