Toray Industries, Inc. has developed a piezoelectric polymer with heat resistance exceeding 200°C. Boasting high design flexibility and suitability for large-area mounting, this material should enhance vibration detection and monitoring technologies in the mobility, robotics, industrial machinery, aerospace, and similar sectors.
Toray
Toray develops Piezoelectric Polymer with enhanced heat resistance
Responding to stress, vibration, and other external sources, piezoelectric materials will generate voltage. Applications include microphones and strain sensors. The two prime piezoelectric materials have some drawbacks, including:
- Polyvinylidene fluoride loses its polarisation structure at 120°C, constricting the maximum operating temperature to around 80°C.
- Lead zirconate titanate is highly piezoelectric but also hard and brittle, making it hard to mount on complex shapes or large areas.
Recently, there has been an increasing demand for vibration detection and monitoring sensors in the mobility, robotics, industrial machinery, and aerospace industries. Automakers are researching active noise cancellation to suppress road noise. Robotics producers are looking into vibration detection for haptic feedback. Industrial machinery and aerospace manufacturers are considering vibration monitoring for continuous surveillance and detection of early anomalies. These fields need sensors mounted over large areas to capture vibrations across extensive regions. Meanwhile, applications near motors and engines, in space environments, and on heat transfer piping require piezoelectric materials to perform at over 100°C.
Toray’s innovation of its piezoelectric polymer came from drawing on its polymer molecular design and higher-order structural control technology. The material upholds its polarisation structure at above 200°C, ensuring stable detection. This polymer is available as a varnish, film, or nonwoven fabric. Another key benefit of this material is that it is free of lead or fluorine. Also, it complies with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance regulations.
