Super-piezoelectric composite fiber mats for power generation and soft actuators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9416487-B2
Application number	US-201314051763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 11, 2013
Publication date	Aug 16, 2016
Grant date	Aug 16, 2016

Abstract

A piezoelectric device includes a fiber mat comprising polymer fibers with ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers. The ferroelectric particles are oriented to generate a net polarization in the fiber mat. The ferroelectric particles may comprise barium titanate particles. The polymer fibers may comprise polylactic acid (PLA) fibers. The piezoelectric device may further include substrates sandwiching the fiber mat, and the fiber mat may be formed by electrospinning polymer fibers containing ferroelectric particles onto one of the substrates. The piezoelectric device may be a piezoelectric actuator configured to receive an input voltage applied across the fiber mat and to output a mechanical displacement in response to the voltage, or the piezoelectric device may be configured to output a voltage in response to a mechanical force applied to the fiber mat.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a piezoelectric device including:
a fiber mat comprising polymer fibers with ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers, the polymer material of the polymer fibers electrically insulating the embedded ferroelectric particles; and
electrically conductive substrates sandwiching the fiber mat.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers comprise microdomains of ferroelectric particles in the polymer fibers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers are poled such that the fiber mat has a net polarization {right arrow over (P)} oriented normal to surfaces of the electrically conductive substrates.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ferroelectric particles comprise barium titanate particles.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the polymer fibers comprise polylactic acid (PLA) fibers.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the fiber mat is formed by electrospinning polymer fibers containing barium titanate particles onto one of the electrically conductive substrates.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fibers of the fiber mat lack any long-range order.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the fiber mat is formed by electrospinning polymer fibers containing ferroelectric particles onto one of the electrically conductive substrates.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric device comprises a piezoelectric actuator configured to receive an input voltage and output a mechanical displacement in response to the received input voltage.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the piezoelectric device is configured to output a voltage in response to an applied mechanical force.

11. An apparatus comprising:
a piezoelectric device including:
a fiber mat comprising polymer fibers with ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers, the polymer material of the polymer fibers electrically insulating the embedded ferroelectric particles; and
electrically conductive substrates sandwiching the fiber mat;

wherein the electrically conductive substrates include at least one substrate comprising glass coated with indium tin oxide (ITO).

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the polymer material of the polymer fibers electrically insulates the embedded ferroelectric particles.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a piezoelectric device including an electrospun fiber mat comprising polymer fibers with ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers;
wherein the polymer fibers electrically insulate the embedded ferroelectric particles; and
wherein the ferroelectric particles are oriented to generate a net polarization in the fiber mat.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the ferroelectric particles embedded in the polymer fibers comprise microdomains of ferroelectric particles in the polymer fibers.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the ferroelectric particles comprise barium titanate particles.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the polymer fibers comprise polylactic acid (PLA) fibers.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the piezoelectric device further includes substrates sandwiching the fiber mat, and the fiber mat is formed by electrospinning polymer fibers containing barium titanate particles onto one of the substrates.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the fibers of the fiber mat lack any long-range order.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the piezoelectric device further includes substrates sandwiching the fiber mat, and the fiber mat is formed by electrospinning polymer fibers containing ferroelectric particles onto one of the substrates.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the piezoelectric device comprises a piezoelectric actuator configured to receive an input voltage applied across the fiber mat and to output a mechanical displacement in response to the voltage applied across the fiber mat.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the piezoelectric device is configured to output a voltage in response to a mechanical force applied to the fiber mat.

Assignees

• Univ Kent State Ohio

Inventors

• Jakli Antal I
• Buyuktanir Ebru Aylin
• West John L
• Morvan Jason
• Harden Jr John Ernest

Classifications

• H01L41/082

  Electricity · mapped topic

• D06M23/08 Primary

  Processes in which the treating agent is applied in powder or granular form (adhesives for multi-layer textile fabrics D06M17/00) · CPC title

• D01D5/0007 Primary

  Electro-spinning (non-woven fabrics produced by electro-spinning D04H1/728) · CPC title

• H01L41/37

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L41/183

  Electricity · mapped topic