Piezoelectric properties of cement based/PVDF/PZT composites

• Novel cement based/PVDF/PZT composites were fabricated.
• Significant reduction in poling time was found in 0–3 composites.
• Increased piezoelectric charge coefficient was found at 5% PVDF.
• High and increased piezoelectric voltage coefficient was found.

New and novel cement-based piezoelectric composites were fabricated using lead zirconate titanate (PZT), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Portland cement (PC). Dielectric constant (εε33), piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) and piezoelectric voltage coefficient (g33) of the PZT–PVDF–PC composites with 50 vol% PZT and 1–20 vol% PVDF content were investigated. The results indicated that PVDF as a third phase was found to enhance piezoelectric properties where piezoelectric charge coefficient (d33) and piezoelectric voltage coefficient (g33) increased to 24 pC/N and 25.7×10−3 Vm/N respectively when PVDF was added at 5 vol%. Moreover, a significant reduction in the poling time was found when PVDF was incorporated in the 0–3 composites.