Non-linear constitutive modeling of ferroelectrics

Due to the large coupling between their electrical and mechanical properties, ferroelectric ceramics are increasingly being implemented in novel devices. This review reports on recent advances in the development of predictive constitutive models for the coupled and non-linear electromechanical behavior of ferroelectrics. Such constitutive models are required to analyze the performance of ferroelectric devices and to model the failure processes in these devices and materials. The topics covered in this review include micro-electromechanical constitutive models, macroscopic phenomenological modeling for polycrystals, and the implementation of these non-linear constitutive models. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.