CeramTec, the high-performance ceramics specialist, has developed a proprietary bismuth sodium titanate-barium titanate (BNT-BT) based piezoceramic that offers similar performance to conventional lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoceramics for many applications, but with one major advantage: it does not contain lead. This is particularly exciting for the medical field, where lead-free piezo can provide an alternative for high-power ultrasound and bubble detection systems.
- Innovative: Piezoceramics without lead in medical applications
- Sustainable: BNT-BT has a comparatively low environmental impact
- Exciting: lead-free alternatives for ultrasonic sensors for liquid management and high-power ultrasonics
Piezoceramics are at the heart of many medical applications, including sensors and transducers, surgical instruments, as well as ultrasound therapy equipment and imaging systems. In all these applications, piezoceramics convert mechanical excitation such as pressure and acceleration into electrical signals – or vice versa. They then convert the electrical signals into mechanical motion or vibration. Until now, piezoceramics have only been able to do this because of their lead base – now CeramTec has a lead-free alternative for a variety of specific medical piezoceramic applications.
Sustainable material performance
CeramTec is committed to constantly researching and developing new materials to help customers moving towards future oriented sustainable solutions. This also applies to piezoceramics: After intensive development work, CeramTec has formulated an alternative piezoceramic material, with high performance: BNT-BT. This material has some key environmental benefits: significantly lower toxicity as well as reduced impact on human health and the environment compared to PZT and other lead-free alternatives such as potassium sodium niobate (KNN).
A powerful substitute
CeramTec has tested and evaluated the performance of BNT-BT in two key medical ultrasound devices: ultrasonic bubble detection systems, and typical high-power ultrasonic transducers – used in surgical devices, as well as diagnostic equipment. In bubble detection systems, the acoustic signal power of a liquid sensor with a resonant frequency of 2 MHz was comparable between lead-based PZT and lead-free piezoceramics. This is a paradigm shift in performance, as previous materials showed significantly lower sensitivity and performance differences that could compromise functionality.
Using a standard 40 kHz Langevin transducer, BNT-BT was shown to provide higher output power in high-performance ultrasonic transducers, while achieving lower temperatures at equivalent operating conditions. This has great potential benefits in real-world applications. CeramTec recommends that customers discuss their individual applications and requirements for the transition from lead-based to lead-free solutions with a CeramTec expert. In order to expand the range of applications for lead-free piezoceramics, the ceramics and ultrasonic expert is constantly testing new applications.
Get to know BNT-BT
On 12 and 13 March, CeramTec will be presenting its portfolio of solutions in the fields of Piezo & Sensors and Structural Ceramics at Medical Technology UK in Coventry (Booth 93). This is a good opportunity to learn more about lead-free piezoceramics and discover their benefits in an expert talk. „Lead-free piezoceramics offer enormous potential for medical sensors and transducers. For certain applications, they offer the same or better performance than conventional piezoceramics. At the same time, they enable our customers to make their medical devices more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This is a real added value proposition”, summarizes Charles Dowling, Business Line Director Piezo & Sensors.
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