ELECTROSTRICTIVE CERAMICS FOR UNDERWATER TRANSDUCER APPLICATIONS

The electromechanical properties of two electrostrictive materials designed for use in underwater acoustic applications are determined as functions of temperature and electric field. The materials are 0.859 Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.141 PbTiO3 doped with 2.5% SrTiO3 or BaTiO3. Dielectric properties are determined as functions of temperature and electric field. The equivalent piezoelectric coefficients were found as functions of temperature to be equal to or superior to the lead zirconate-titanate ceramics at very modest de bias fields (2 kV/cm) at temperatures in the range from 10 to 35 degrees C. Outside of this temperature range, the piezoelectric and dielectric coefficents decrease rapidly. Electromechanical losses were found to be sufficiently small for the SrTiO3 composition but not the BaTiO3 composition.