Posted on 04/19/2019 7:27:34 AM PDT by Red Badger
Scientists improved the performance of electricity-harvesting crystals by adding the rare earth metal samarium. Photo by Wikimedia Commons
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April 19 (UPI) -- Researchers have discovered that the addition of a rare earth metal significantly improves the performance of piezoelectric crystals.
Piezoelectric crystals are used in sensors, including underwater sonars and medical ultrasound imaging devices. These technologies use perovskite oxide crystals, or PMN-PT crystals.
Scientists have also tried to use piezoelectric crystals, which convert mechanical oscillations into electricity, to power wearable electronics and other types of novel technologies.
An international team of scientists from Australia, China and the United States found a way to improve the performance of PMN-PT crystals. Scientists added samarium atoms during the crystal growth process -- one samarium atom per thousand atoms of the parent crystal -- and found the additive created more homogeneous piezoelectric properties inside the crystal, boosting the crystal's performance.
The piezoelectric coefficient, quantified in picocoulombs per Newton, describes the efficiency of a material's piezoelectric properties. More efficient piezoelectric crystals do more with less.
In lab tests, scientists confirmed that conventional PMN-PT crystals feature a piezoelectric coefficient between 1,200 and 2,500 pC/N. PMN-PT crystals enhanced with samarium produced 3,400 to 4,100 pC/N.
Scientists also noted that the addition of samarium granted the crystals more uniform, or homogeneous, physical properties.
"These crystals are ideal for a variety of sensing applications and could reduce cost by eliminating waste," researchers wrote in their study, published this week in the journal Science.
Techie Ping!.....................
Dilithium Crystals?????
Samarium Crystals.......................
Good Samariums...
Finally, an efficient BBQ lighter!
single crystals of samarium-doped Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3
I was visualizing it’s effect on spark plugs...................
Samarium is NOT a metal. It is a “rare earth”, a quasi-metallic element.
Interesting that it works in piezoelectric systems.
It’s similar to what they do with magnets.
It’s magic......................
Aye, Captain! Insert into warp drive, and give her all she’s got!
Fender developed samarium-cobalt magnets for their noiseless single coil pickups around 15 years ago.
The headline is misleading. It implies that this is some type of solar energy break-through when actually this is an improvement in sensor technology.
The rumor is that Colt Industries is about to offer a Sam Colt Piezo-electric powered laser pistol that can accurately wipe out a Donk from 5 miles away.
Its a “tight beam “ model.
“Be not afraid of any man;
No matter what his size;
When danger threatens, call on me—
And I will VAPORIZE!”...........................
So let’s get to work and start mining the metal.
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