Testing of new ferroelectric elements custom engineered for explosively driven ferroelectric applications

Explosively driven ferroelectric generators (FEGs) are reliable, compact, high voltage sources that utilize high pressures to liberate charge trapped in the crystal structure of ferroelectric materials. For the active ferroelectric element most FEG designs use commercial lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) compositions designed for either precision actuators or naval sonar transducers. However, the material properties that are important in FEG applications are not the same material properties for which these materials have been designed to maximize. FEG designs utilizing these commercial materials are performance limited by high voltage breakdown, mechanical failure and low energy densities. TRS Technologies inc. has produced a new series of ferroelectric elements designed specifically for FEG applications. HEM Technologies has performed dielectric strength and shock compression experiments on these new materials to evaluate their performance in comparison to existing commercially available materials.