Piezoceramics

A piezoceramic is a ceramic material that creates a charge separation within the material under the influence of a deformation or vice versa. This is called the piezoelectric effect. There are two types of piezoelectric effect, the direct and the inverse. In the case of the direct piezoelectric effect, electrically charged regions are generated due to an external force and the deformation associated therewith, which are located either on the upper/ lower side or on opposite lateral surfaces of the ceramic. In the case of the inverse piezoelectric effect, charge separation is caused when an electrical voltage is applied to the piezoceramic. The resulting charge separation in the piezoceramic deforms it. Since the piezoelectric effect on natural materials is very low, special ceramics have been developed in recent years. The main areas of application for piezoceramics are piezo actuators for precise fuel metering and transducers for the generation of ultrasound and high-frequency tones.