Objective KNbO3 and its recently discovered modifications exhibit properties that can be advantageous in a variety of piezoelectric devices, in particular for medical and industrial ultrasonic transducers. However, due to a high production cost, crystals of these compositions have not been considered up to now for commercial use in ultrasonic transducers. The present proposal addresses both the issue of implementation of pure and modified KNbO3 based transducers in the product line of SMEs and the cost reduction issue in the crystals fabrication. The issue of the cost reduction will be addressed by growing crystals from dense ceramics using template-assisted Solid State Single Crystal Growth (SSCG) method and by domain engineering. These cost-effective procedures will be implemented on industrial scale by the SME specialised in crystal growth. Ceramics used as substrates for SSCG will be further optimised and commercialised by the SME who specialises in piezoelectric ceramics. The crystals prepared by SSCG method and domain engineering will provide device SMEs with high performance transducer materials that are substantially less expensive than those produced by traditional crystal-growth methods with added value of being biocompatible and environmentally friendly. Since new modified KNbO3 compositions exhibit overall properties comparable to those of presently used lead based ceramics, the results of the project will potentially have a significant impact on the wide spectrum of piezoelectric applications and provide a leading edge on the global market to all participating SMEs, even beyond applications that will be directly evaluated in the project. The project conforms to the co-operative action by the close integration of activities of non-competing SMEs and RTDs, by introducing a radically new processing technique, improving devices used in health and safety domains, and by addressing environmental issues by removing lead from the production and device exploitation lines. Fields of science engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcrystalsnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkali metalsengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectricsengineering and technologymaterials engineeringceramics Programme(s) FP6-SME - Horizontal research activities involving SMEs: Specific activities covering wider field of research under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) SME-1 - Co-operative Research (all areas of science and technology) Call for proposal FP6-2003-SME-1 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme Data not available Coordinator ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE EU contribution No data Address EPFL-STI-IMX-LC, MXC 241 (Bâtiment MXC), Station 12 LAUSANNE Switzerland See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Participants (6) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all CERAM AB Sweden EU contribution No data Address Thulehemsvagen 117 LUND See on map Total cost No data FERROPERM PIEZOCERAMICS A/S Denmark EU contribution No data Address Hejreskovvej, 18A KVISTGAARD See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FÜR MINERALISCHE UND METALLISCHE WERKSTOFFE, EDELSTEIN/EDELMETALLE GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Struthstrasse 2 / Wackenmuhle IDAR-OBERSTEIN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data IMASONIC SA France EU contribution No data Address 15 Rue Alain Savary BESANCON See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data JOZEF STEFAN INSTITUTE Slovenia EU contribution No data Address Jamova 39 3000 LJUBLJANA See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data MEDIZINTECHNIK BASLER AG Switzerland EU contribution No data Address im oberen Boden 150 ZÜRICH See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
