Fabrication of Piezoelectric Composite Polymers Using Stereolithography

This study focused on the preparation and characterization of piezoelectric composite materials fabricated using stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing. The composite material was formulated by combining a commercial photopolymer resin with lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic powder. The preparation process was optimized through ultrasonic mixing, fine-tuning of printing parameters—such as layer exposure time and thickness—and refinement of postprocessing. The maximum filler content achieved was $15 \mathrm{wt} \%$, as higher concentrations negatively impacted printability. The inclusion of the piezoelectric filler significantly influenced the material’s dielectric properties. Despite employing a deliberately simple fabrication route—without any additional components such as dispersants or binders—we achieved a relative permittivity increase of $\mathbf{1 5 \%}$ and a piezoelectric charge coefficient d<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">33</inf> reaching $0.53 \mathrm{pC} / \mathrm{N}$. Furthermore, this study investigates the effects of various polarization techniques, considering factors such as electrode geometry, polarization duration, and the intensity of the applied electric field. By optimizing these parameters within this minimalistic formulation approach, the research demonstrates that functional improvements are possible even without complex composite engineering, offering valuable insights into tailoring material properties for applications in energy harvesters, sensors, and other advanced technologies.