Scientists Have Created New Lead-Free Ceramics with Record-Breaking Characteristics

12:44, January 22, 2024

Its efficiency is three times higher than that of existing analogs

Scientists from the Ural Federal University and Xi'an Jiaotong University have developed a new electrostriction ceramic that can be used to create micro- and nano-manipulators for nanotechnologies and adaptive optics. The material is noted to be three times more efficient than existing lead-containing analogs. As many countries impose legal restrictions on the use of lead in electronics, scientists have developed ceramic analogs that can replace it. The research results and the obtained electrostrictive ceramics were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 23-42-00116).

"Nowadays, many countries have prohibited the use of lead in electronic components. These restrictions have prompted researchers worldwide, including those in Russia, to develop lead-free ceramic materials. Our international scientific team has successfully created such electrostrictive ceramics. The electrostriction coefficient of the obtained ceramics is three times higher than that of existing analogs containing lead. Additionally, the dimensions of our ceramics change reproducibly and quickly in the electric field," explains Vladimir Shur, the project leader and Director of the Ural Federal University's Ural Multiple Access Center "Modern Nanotechnologies".

Electrostriction ceramics are materials that change dimensions under the influence of an electric field. They have a wide range of applications, including adaptive optics. In astronomy, they are commonly used for real-time correction of atmospheric distortions in telescope images. The quality of images of celestial bodies is often reduced due to changes in air density. Distortions can be corrected by changing the shape of the surface of the telescope's optical elements. The use of new ceramics will enable this to be done with maximum precision and speed.

"Our electrostriction ceramics can be useful for building ground-based telescopes. Additionally, the ability to produce nanometer-precise displacements in a controlled, reversible, and high-speed manner will be in demand for further development of nanotechnology," comments Vladimir Shur.

The obtained ceramic material haa deficientow hysteresis level, meaning that it changes dimensions quickly, precisely, and reversibly when an electric field is applied.

"A low hysteresis value indicates that the system reacts reversibly to changes in input parameters. The ultra-low hysteresis value of less than 0.8 percent that we have achieved means that the ceramic enables a fast and reproducible response to changes in the applied field," explains Vladimir Shur.

The ceramics that have been recently created contain barium, calcium, titanium, and tin. These metals are less harmful to the environment than the commonly used electrostriction ceramics, which consist of lead, magnesium, and niobium oxides.

"Experienced Chinese colleagues developed the ceramics manufacturing technologies in synthesizing segmentoelectric ceramics. A team of Russian scientists conducted studies on the composition and domain structure of the ceramics with nanometer resolution. Further joint research may lead to the development of an electrostrictive material that can replace environmentally hazardous ceramics in modern electronic devices. This material may also be in demand by astronomers," concludes Vladimir Shur.

Reference

The European Union is the main proponent of limiting the use of lead in electronics and industry. Since 2006, a law has been in effect that restricts the use of lead and other environmentally hazardous substances. Additionally, companies must comply with European legislation in this area when exporting products to the EU. Other developed countries are also taking steps to ban the use of lead.

Today's electrostriction ceramics are all relaxor segmentoelectrics with a diffuse phase transition. This class of materials was discovered and first investigated in the laboratory of Georgy Smolensky at the Physical-Technical Institute of the Academy of Sciences in Leningrad.

Sergey Lukyanchenko

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office.
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