The influence of structural parameters on the actuation performance of piezoelectric fiber composites

• A free strain of 1900 microstrain was achieved in piezoelectric fiber composites.
• The effect of structural parameters on actuation performance verified by experimental results and finite element analysis.
• The electric field distribution in piezoceramic fiber explained the effect of structural parameters well.
• The actuation performance can be effectively enhanced by adopting smaller electrode spacing, thinner interlayer and fiber.

Piezoelectric fiber composites with interdigitated electrodes have attracted increasing interest in a variety of areas due to their unique performances. Viscous plastic processing technique was utilized for the fabrication of composite with customized feature sizes. The structural parameters, e.g., electrode finger spacing, fiber thickness, interlayer thickness and volume fraction of piezoceramic fiber, showed great influence on the free strain performance of composites, which were verified by both finite element analysis and experimental measurement. Electric field distributions along the longitudinal direction of piezoceramic fiber were used to discuss the actuation mechanism of piezoelectric fiber composites. The results revealed that narrower electrode finger spacing and thinner interlayer would be beneficial for improving the free strain performance. Smaller fiber thickness led to better free strain performance, owing to higher electric field strength and larger volume fraction of active zone in piezoceramic fiber. The free strain performance was enhanced nonlinearly with the increase of volume fraction of piezoelectric ceramic fiber.

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