Electrical response during indentation of a 1-3 piezoelectric ceramic-polymer composite

The electrical response during indentation of a piezoelectric ceramic-polym er 1-3 composite has been investigated. The current (quasistatic charge inc rement) induced in the indentor due to the polarized layer on the contact s urface increases with load as the contact area increases. Good agreement wa s found between the measured currents as a function of load with those pred icted using an analytical model. In addition, the current increases with in creasing indentation velocity and indentor diameter. It uses known analytic al results to develop a new tool for characterizing the electrical response of piezoelectric composites. As such, linear elastic indentation with simu ltaneous measurement of load and electric current is shown to be a new, fas t, and nondestructive technique that can be used for quality assurance and to study the effect of aging and development/presence of damage/microcracki ng in monolithic piezoelectric and 1-3 piezoelectric composites. (C) 1999 A merican Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)07313-2].