Ni coated Cu Foils as the Substrate for Flexible Piezocomposite Power Generators

Advancing technological progresses need more energy supports. However, traditional power generation processes usually cause environmental pollutions, and thereby the development of sustainable energies is always a crucial topic. In this study, Ni coated Cu foils were used as the substrate to prepare flexible piezoelectric electro-generators. Two submicron ceramic powders, commercial PZT (Lead zirconate titanate) and Pb-free BaTiO3 synthesized by thermal spray pyrolysis were chosen to fabricate piezoelectric composite layers by means of spin coating and screen printing as well. To enhance the dielectric performance, several organic binders have been adopted, and sintering under thermal compression was carried on to reduce the porosity. With the test sample area of 15×35mm, PZT-ethyl cellulose devices generated a top output voltage of 0.5V (Vav = 0.25 V) while sintered at 280 oC for 30 min under the pressure of 0.5MPa. Doubling the device area to 30 × 70 mm, the top voltage for PZT devices reached 1.3 V, while that for BaTiO3 devices was increased to 0.5V.