Lead zirconate titanate

Lead zirconate titanate, also called lead zirconium titanate and commonly abbreviated as PZT, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formulaPb[Zr_xTi_1−x]O₃(0 ≤ x ≤ 1).. It is a ceramic perovskite material that shows a marked piezoelectric effect, meaning that the material accumulates an electric charge in response to mechanical stress. The piezoelectric effect is a reversible process: materials exhibiting the piezoelectric effect also exhibit the reverse piezoelectric effect, the internal generation of mechanical strain resulting from an applied electric field. It is used on in a number of practical applications such as ultrasonic transducers and piezoelectric resonators. It is a white to off-white solid.

Lead zirconium titanate was first developed around 1952 at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Compared to barium titanate, a previously discovered metallic-oxide-based piezoelectric material, lead zirconium titanate exhibits greater sensitivity and has a higher operating temperature. Piezoelectric ceramics are chosen for applications because of their physical strength, chemical inertness and their relatively low manufacturing cost. PZT ceramic is the most commonly used piezoelectric ceramic because it has an even greater sensitivity and higher operating temperature than other piezoceramics.