Dielectric and pyroelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate/polyurethane composites

0-3 composite ranging between 0 and 3, of ferroelectric ceramic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and thermoplastic elastomer polyurethane (PU) were fabricated. The pyroelectric and dielectric properties of the hot-pressed thin film samples of various PZT volume fractions were measured. The experimental dielectric permittivities and losses agreed reasonably well with the Bruggeman model. The room temperature pyroelectric coefficients of the composites were found to increase linearly with PZT volume fraction and substantially larger than expected. For example, for a composite with 30% PZT, its pyroelectric coefficient is about 90 muC/m(2)K at room temperature, which is more than tenfold of a PZT/PVDF composite of the same ceramic volume fraction. We propose a model in which the electrical conductivity of the composite system is taken into consideration to explain the linear relationship and the extraordinarily large pyroelectric coefficients obtained. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.