3D printing PMN-PT textured ceramics for transducer applications

3D printing stereolithography (SL) technique were successfully applied in the preparation of <001>-textured 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-29PT) ceramics in this work. The as-sintered textured ceramics show obvious grain orientation control effects, and the relative density reaches 93% of the theoretical density. The obtained ceramics demonstrate typical dielectric/ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties, enabling the device applications. The ultrasonic transducer with the center frequency of 6.7 MHz and the −6 dB bandwidth of 25% are designed and prepared based on the obtained textured ceramic. This work signifies the great potential of 3D printing SL technology on the fabrication of piezoelectric ceramic elements for advanced applications.