7 PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT MATERIALS PHOTOMECHANICAL MATERIALS structure uses applications gcse igcse gce A Level AS A2 chemistry revision notes

Part 7 PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT (PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS) & PHOTOMECHANICAL MATERIALS

Doc Brown's Chemistry Revision Notes - Smart Materials and Materials Science

All my GCSE Chemistry Revision notes

Index of smart materials pages

Index of nanochemistry revision notes

A general survey of materials - natural & synthetic, properties & uses

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Alphabetical list of keywords mentioned on these 'smart materials' pages: Carbon fibres * Chromogenic materials * Electrochromic materials * Gore-Tex * Halochromic materials * High performance polymers * Kevlar * Lycra * Magnetic shape memory alloys * Magnetostrictive materials * Nitinol * pH sensitive polymers * Photochromic materials * Photomechancal materials * Piezoelectric effect materials * PTFE * Self-healing materials * Shape memory alloys * Shape memory polymers * Spandex * Teflon * Temperature responsive polymers * Thermochromic materials * Thinsulate

Part 7a. PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT and PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS

Piezoelectric materials are materials that produce a tiny voltage when stress is applied e.g. pressure by compressing a material i.e. 'squeezing' it.
- The electric polarising effect is a direct result of mechanical stress on the crystal structure of the material.
  - Piezoelectricity is observed in some anisotropic (no centre of symmetry) crystals when subjected to mechanical strain.
- Piezoelectric materials are most widely used as sensors in different environments.
- This piezo-electric effect can be used to detect stress and deformation in solid materials.
- The effect can used in general to detect pressure changes in gases or liquids i.e. pressure transducers and other electrical instrumentation components.
- The piezoelectric effect is used in lighters.
The effect can work in the opposite way and an applied electric field (p.d. voltage) across the material will produce stress within the sample and cause it to change shape.
- This reverse phenomenon is known as the electrostrictive or motor effect.
- Therefore structures can be designed and made to bend, expand or contract when a voltage is applied for a particular use.

Part 7b. PHOTOMECHANICAL MATERIALS

PHOTOMECHANICAL MATERIALS are involved in any process by which a printing surface is prepared mechanically with the aid of photography.
Photomechanical materials can change shape under exposure to light.

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INDEX of SMART MATERIALS PAGES

PART 1 CHROMOGENIC MATERIALS - Thermochromic, Photochromic & Electrochromic Materials

PART 2 SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS e.g. Nitinol & Magnetic Shape Memory Alloys

PART 3 SHAPE MEMORY POLYMERS, pH and temperature sensitive-responsive polymers, self-healing materials

Part 4 LYCRA-SPANDEX

PART 5 High performance polymers like KEVLAR

PART 6 GORETEX, THINSULATE and TEFLON-PTFE

PART 7 PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT (PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIALS) and PHOTOMECHANICAL MATERIALS

PART 8 CARBON FIBRES

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