Pyroelectric ceramics poling and porosity effect

Abstract

This chapter examines the effects of poling and porosity techniques, along with their associated parameter effects, on the pyroelectric properties of ceramics. The first section focuses on the requirements for effective poling of pyroelectric ceramics and examines various poling techniques, including electrode-based, corona discharge, electron beam, and photothermal methods. Electrode-based direct current/alternative current (DC/AC) poling and corona discharge are the most commonly applied methods for polarizing pyroelectric ceramics due to their effectiveness and versatility. Additionally, the chapter discusses parameters that influence the poling process, such as poling time, temperature, electric field magnitude, pulse, frequency, and biasing, as well as grain size, porosity, electrode method and pattern, and the stress field. The second section of the chapter focuses on the role of porosity in modifying pyroelectric properties, classifying different types of porous pyroelectric ceramics. It also provides various methods for introducing porosity, such as chemical and laser etching, partial sintering, rapid annealing, replica templating, sacrificial agents (e.g., freeze-casting, gel-casting, burnout of polymer spheres or organic or inorganic compounds), direct foaming, and additive manufacturing. Among these methods, sacrificial agents are the most widely used for fabricating porous pyroelectric ceramics due to their ability to control porosity and achieve desired characteristics. Additive manufacturing is a viable technique for developing porous pyroelectric materials, providing significant potential for enhancing the figures of merit in energy harvesting and tailoring pyroelectric properties. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.