PTCa/PEKK piezo-composites for acoustic emission detection

Piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites with mixed connectivity combine the high values of piezoelectric coefficients of the ferro-electric ceramics and the formability and flexibility of the polymer, making them suitable for in situ acoustic emission (AE) sensors. The present paper reports a study of the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the ceramic/polymer composite films composed of the calcium modified lead titanate (PTCa) ceramic and the thermoplastic polymer, polyetherketoneketone (PEKK). The mixed connectivity model is used to calculate the percentage of 1–3 connectivity in each composite. Additionally, the sensors were embedded in a carbon fibre reinforce