Fabrication of the Fe/PZT Functionally Graded Material and its Application on the Thermal Match for Transducers

Abstract

To solve the debonding and fracture problems caused by the different thermal expansion coefficients of the transducer element and the measured object, a new method combined with the powder lamination, pressureless infiltration and hot pressing sintering is proposed to prepare Fe/PZT functionally graded material as the matching layer of transducers. The microstructure and element distribution of the functionally graded layer are analyzed by the SEM and EDS. The results show that the volume fraction and elements of the functionally graded layer after the pressureless infiltration at 1100 °C and the hot pressing at 800 °C are linearly and continuously distributed along the thickness direction. The thermal cycle contrast test shows the well matching performance of the functionally graded disk as the transducer matching layer from room temperature to 180 °C. Finally, Lamb wave propagation experiment at the 180 °C shows that the functionally graded matching layer can be used effectively.