Rochelle Salt-Based Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Composite Produced with Simple Additive Manufacturing Techniques

More than one century ago, piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity were discovered using Rochelle salt crystals. Today, modern societies are invited to switch to a resilient and circular economic model. In this context, this work proposes a method to manufacture piezoelectric devices made from agro-resources such as tartaric acid and polylactide, thereby significantly reducing the energy budget without requiring any sophisticated equipment. These piezoelectric devices are manufactured by liquid-phase epitaxy-grown Rochelle salt (RS) crystals in a 3D-printed poly(Lactic acid) (PLA) matrix, which is an artificial squared mesh which mimics anatomy of natural wood. This composite material can easily be produced in any fablab with renewable materials and at low processing temperatures, which reduces the total energy consumed. Manufactured biodegradable samples are fully recyclable and have good piezoelectric properties without any poling step. The measured piezoelectric coefficients of manufactured samples are higher than many piezoelectric polymers such as PVDF-TrFE.

One Hundred Years of Ferroelectrics

The brief history of ferroelectrics and related piezoelectrics and pyroelectrics is reviewed in terms of basic science and application. In 1920, J. Valasek discovered the ferroelectricity of Rochelle salt. Since then ferroelectrics have been widely used for sensors, actuators, and electronic and optical devices. Also, phase transitions in solids and hysteretic switching dynamics have been studied in ferroelectrics.

History of Korea Ferroelectric Research

Research Center for Dielectric Study was supported by the Korean Research Foundation from the government. In 1991, Professor Jang, Min-Soo along with 22 other professors, received a research grant of 7 billion won for 10 years, which enabled the Korean Ferroelectric Research Society to be competitive globally. The 9th International Meeting on Ferroelectricity, which is held every four years, was held in Seoul in 1997. The first dielectric joint symposium organized by condensed-matter physics and materials science researchers was held in 2005. The Korean Dielectrics Society was established at Muju resort in 2017, with Professors Tae Won Noh and Jaichan Lee representing the condensed-matter physics and materials science communities, respectively. Currently, more than 300 members are actively participating in the Korean Dielectric Society. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of ferroelectricity, which was fist discovered in Rochelle salt by Joseph Valasek in 1921, we organized a special session in the 2020 Korean Physics Society Fall Meeting.

Pembuatan dan Karakterisasi Rochelle Salt Crystal

Rochelle Salt is the first synthesis Crystal made by Pierre Siegnette La Rocchelle in France. Rochelle Salt have several characteriztion one of them is piezoelectric effect where the crystal can change the kinetic energy to electrical energy instead this is the one of rewenable source altenative energy. Rochelle Salt can be made with tartar cream and washing soda reacted with distilled water as a solvent. The solution is reacted until there is no more reaction or supersaturation condition. Wait the solution for 2 days until the crystal seed appears. The crystal growth using the method of growing crystal in solution for 1 month until the crystal bigger enough for research to find the piezoelectric effect. Based on the result that have been obtained, Rochelle Salt have piezoelectric effect. Crystal hit using with wooden hitter and metal hitter, the voltage is increase when the crystal is hit by hitter. The piezoelectric also disappear along with time.

Rochelle Salt Based Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Composite Produced with Simple Additive Manufacturing Techniques

One century ago, ferroelectricity and then piezoelectricity were discovered using Rochelle salt crystals. Today, modern societies are invited to switch towards a resilient and circular economy model. In this context, this work proposes a method to manufacture piezoelectric devices made from agro-resources such as tartric acid and polylactide significantly reducing the energy budget without requiring any sophisticated equipement. These piezoelectric devices are manufactured by liquid phase epitaxy grown Rochelle salt (RS) crystals into a 3D printed poly(Lactic acid) (PLA) matrix being the artificial squared meshes which mimic the natural wood anatomy. This composite material can easily be produced in any fablab with renewable materials and at low processsing temperatures, reducing then the total energy consumed. Manufactured biodegradable samples are fully recyclable and have good piezoelectric properties without any pooling step. The measured piezoelectric coefficients of manufactured samples are higher than many piezoelectric polymers such as PVDF-TrFE.