Depolarization and Electrical Response of Porous PZT 95/5 Ferroelectric Ceramics under Shock Wave Compression

The release of bound charges by shock wave loading of poled lead zirconate titanate (PZT 95/5) ferroelectric ceramics can result in a high-power electrical energy output. In this study, a theoretical formulation describing the depolarization and electrical response of porous PZT 95/5 ceramics in the normal mode to shock wave compression loading perpendicular to the polarization direction is developed. The depoling process in porous poled PZT 95/5 ceramics is analyzed by using a parallel circuit consisting of a current source, capacitance, conductance and a circuit load. This modeling takes the effects of porosity on wave velocity and remanent polarization and dielectric constant into account, and the effects of variations in dielectric constant and conductivity in the shocked region are assessed. The output current characteristics of porous PZT 95/5 ceramics under short-circuit and resistive load conditions are analyzed and compared with the experiment, with the results showing that theoretical predictions taking into consideration the porosity of ferroelectric ceramics are in close agreement with the experimentally measured electrical response of porous PZT 95/5 under shock wave compression loading.