CeraNova
Corporation
Future Ceramics Developed For Today
| Telephone: | 508 460-0300 |
| E-mail: | Info@CeraNova.com |
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| Telephone: | 508 460-0300 |
| E-mail: | Info@CeraNova.com |
|
Active PZT Fibers, a Commercial Production Process 1. INTRODUCTION The Active Fiber Composites Consortium is developing the technology needed to produce 5 cm by 15 cm Active Fiber Composite (AFC) packs, see Figure 1, at the rate of 20,000 packs per year. Post-program commercial production levels of 2 million packs per year are targeted. Throughout the AFCC program’s three year duration, annual production rates will increase from 200 to 2,000 to 20,000 AFC packs. Each AFC pack contains roughly 300 individual lead zirconate titanate (PZT) active piezoceramic fibers. CeraNova Corporation is the sole provider of round monofilament PZT fiber used by the AFCC program. CeraNova is establishing the technical capability to produce 250,000 PZT fibers per week, i.e., 50 km / week of fiber. This production level is about twice that needed by the Consortium to meet its 20,000 AFC pack per year goal. CeraNova can currently deliver the fiber needed for interim AFCC prototype-scale production rates of 2,000 packs per year. Single fiber handling and processing approaches are sufficient at this scale. Present single fiber delivery rates are up to 6,000 per week for the AFCC Program. Simple productivity enhancements have been demonstrated that double these delivery rates to the required level of 12,000 fibers per week.
Figure 1: Active Fiber Composite, nominal 5 cm x 15 cm pack containing 307 PZT fibers (by Continuum Control Corporation).
In this paper, active fiber composite design is outlined. A description of the CeraNova process to produce monofilament active PZT fiber follows. Demonstrated technology is presented that can produce fibers at the 120,000 per week level needed for pre-commercial AFC production. Single fiber electrical measurements being developed for process control are presented. Their correlation with commercial active fiber composite pack-performance is discussed. |
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