O3 Particles Research Articles

A stretchable piezoelectric elastic composite

In this work, a stretchable piezoelectric elastic composite has been developed by incorporating PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) particles into polymer matrix. The output voltage and current can reach 8 V and 0.4 μA, respectively. Likewise, the steady piezoelectric signal can respond to different strain rates. The measurement on human body shows that the piezoelectric composite can be used to capture kinetic energy and monitor limb motion for body sensor network application. This work is significant for the conformal assembly of piezoelectric devices used in artificial intelligence system.

Monitoring Chemical Contamination of Medical Air Produced On-Site in a Healthcare Institution Using Low-Cost Air Quality Sensors

Medical air is used in hospitals for patients suffering from a wide range of conditions. This air is typically produced by pressurizing outdoor air on-site and supplying it to patients through a lengthy piping system. Thus, it may contain chemical pollution from outdoor sources, line contamination, or technical problems within the compressor system. Hospitals in North America are mandated to meet medical air quality standards established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), yet its quality is often unmonitored. Further, USP limits for many pollutants common in ambient air are unspecified while specified limits for some pollutants are far higher than common ambient air quality standards even though this air is intended for potentially vulnerable individuals. Finally, patient exposure is not determined and thus generally unknown. In this study a sensor-based air quality monitor was used in conjunction with portable instruments to measure the concentration of CO, CO2, NOx, O3, black carbon (BC), and ultrafine particles (UFP). Simultaneous measurements were made at the outdoor intake to the compression system and at the patient-room end of pipelines at a Canadian hospital. The results show a strong association between outdoor air pollution and the medical air quality for some pollutants, based on correlation analysis. The concentrations of CO and CO2 in the medical air were close to outdoor levels and followed the time-related changes in the outdoor concentrations. In contrast, the concentrations of NOx and O3 were lower than outdoor levels, and BC and UFP levels were generally below detection limit. Although the chemical pollutant concentrations were below the USP standards, this study indicates that outdoor sources of air pollution can strongly influence the chemical contamination of medical air.

Electron backscattered diffraction analysis of friction stir processed nanocomposites produced via spark plasma sintering.

In the present study, Spark Plasma Sintered (SPSed) aluminium matrix composites were severely deformed through Friction stir processing (FSP). Pure aluminium powders and bimodal sized Al2 O3 particles (80 nm and 25 μm) were firstly mixed by ball milling and then consolidated by spark plasma sintering. The effect of the heat input as well the bimodal particle size of the alumina on the materials' microstructure and texture development was evaluated by electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis. The EBSD analysis clearly showed that the SPSed nanocomposites possessed bimodal aluminium matrix grain structure as well as a crystallography characterised by random texture. In addition, microstructural examination revealed that the partial recrystallisation occurred during SPS for all the nanocomposites. Also, it is revealed that the Zener pinning effect of Al2 O3 nanoparticles retarded recrystallised grain growth following recrystallisation during FSP and then leading to grain refinement of the aluminium. The results revealed that the heat generated during FSP has a remarkable effect on the grain distribution as well as on the crystallographic orientation. Also, a mixture of {112} <110> shear elements and an ideal strong B/B¯ component were observed. The microstructural changes, occurred during FSP in the stir zone region for Al-Al2 O3 nanocomposites, were attributed to both the discontinuous along with the continuous recrystallisation (DDRX/CDRX). It should be pointed out that with increasing the heat input, recrystallised grains portion increased.

Experimental Analysis of Thermal Efficiency of a Porous/Swirl Burner Applied to Industrial Cooking

Objectives: To analyze the thermal performance and emission of a porous media combustion/swirl and a conventional burner applied to industrial cooking through a comparative study. Methods/Statistical Analysis: A porous/swirl burner with a bed of Al2 O3 particles coming from grinding wastes has been tested experimentally, and compared to conventional burner from Industrial cooking process. Thermal efficiency of the burner has been evaluated according with specifications of standard NTC 5306. After combustion stability is achieved, a measured quantity of water is heated up and the temperature is measured. The test ends when water gets the boiling point. Findings: The results showed that the swirl burner had a stable combustion in a narrow primary equivalence ratio between 1.49 and 1.52. Thermal efficiency in the “radiationconvection” mode of the porous burner was between 15.7 and 23.6%, which are lower than the average thermal efficiency of the conventional free-flame burner, while the swirl burner working independently could improve the thermal efficiency between 3 and 5% in respect of the conventional free-flame burner. Application/Improvements: This lower thermal efficiency prevents the potential use in industrial application of the porous/swirl burner and further work is necessary to improve the thermal efficiency of the coupled system. Keywords: Combustion Stability, Industrial Cooking, Porous Burner, Swirl Burner, Thermal Efficiency

Marginal Fit of Metal-Ceramic Copings: Effect of Luting Cements and Tooth Preparation Design.

To evaluate the effect of the triad finish line design, axial wall convergence angle, and luting cement on the marginal fit of metal copings used in metal-ceramic crowns. Schematic dies and their respective copings were cast in NiCr alloy. The dies exhibited the following finish line/convergence angle combinations: sloping shoulder/6°, sloping shoulder/20°, shoulder/6°, shoulder/20°. Marginal fit was evaluated under a stereomicroscope, before and after cementation. Copings were air-abraded with 50 μm Al2 O3 particles and cemented with Cimento de Zinco, RelyX U100, or Panavia F cements (n = 10/group). Data were square-root transformed and analyzed by 3-way factorial random effect model and Tukey's post hoc test (α = 0.05). Statistical analysis showed significance for the interactions finish line and convergence angle (p < 0.05), convergence angle and time (p < 0.001), and luting cement and time (p < 0.001). Sloping shoulder/20° provided the highest marginal discrepancy when compared to the other finish line/convergence angle combinations, which were statistically similar among each other. For both convergence angles and for all luting cements, the marginal discrepancy was significantly higher after cementation. Before and after cementation, 6° provided better marginal fit than 20°. After cementation, Panavia F provided higher marginal discrepancy than Cimento de Zinco. Lower convergence angle combined with shoulder and a low-consistency luting cement is preferable to cement metal copings.

Enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties induced by Ag @ Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 in poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix composites: A solution casting approach

ABSTRACTThe present research work focused on the dielectric and electrical properties of silver (Ag) doped Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) particles embedded in a matrix of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) via solution casting technique. The structural analysis confirmed the presence of Ag particles and the microstructural study revealed that both Ag and PZT particles were successfully homogenized over the polymer matrix. The Ag–PZT–PVA composites showed enhanced dielectric properties over a wide range of frequency and the dielectric constant value of such composites was significantly increased to 366 (100 Hz) at 1.1 wt % filler loading. The percolation threshold of the Ag–PZT–PVA composites was found to be 0.9 wt %. The experimental result well fitted to the percolation theory. The enhancement of dielectric constant of the resulting composite systems might be attributed to the increment of conductivity of the interlayer between PZT and PVA due to the presence of Ag particles, which improved the space charge polarization and Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars (MWS) polarization effects. Furthermore, the remnant polarization of the unpoled Ag–PZT–PVA composites (2Pr ∼1.48 µC/cm2 for 1.1.wt % of Ag–PZT) has also improved, which is favorable for enhanced ferroelectric properties of the composites. The present findings of the composites might be exploited in the potential application of high performance energy storage devices. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45583.

Improved temperature stability of dielectric properties for BaZr0.134Ti0.866O3 ceramics by hydro-phase method at atmospheric pressure

ABSTRACTMicrospheres BaZr0.134Ti0.866O3 particles (317.7 ± 8 nm) were obtained using a hydro-phase method at atmospheric pressure, which controls both uniformity and particle size. Fine-grained BaZr0.134Ti0.866O3 ceramics were successfully prepared by sintering. Dielectric temperature stability of the ceramics is effectively improved, which can meet the X8R specification, with ∆ϵ/∆ϵ25°C ≤ ± 15% in the temperature range of −55 to 150°C. The results are attractive for the applications in multilayer ceramic capacitors.

Ultrasonic spectroscopy of copolymer based P(VDF-TrFE) composites with fillers on lead zirconate titanate basis

In this work we report on the ultrasonic and dielectric properties of composites consisting of conventional piezoelectric polymer, polyvinylidene fluoride/trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) copolymer of composition 70/30 mol. %, and (Pb0.75Ba0.24Sr0.01)(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 (BPZT) particles. BPZT fillers concentration was varied from 10 to 50 vol.%. Investigation of ultrasonic wave attenuation, velocity and piezoelectric voltage in these composites was performed over a temperature range from 300 K to 420 K using an automatic ultrasonic pulse-echo method. The temperature dependences of ultrasonic velocity and attenuation showed anomalies attributed to the glass transition temperature Tg and Curie temperature Tc of the polymer matrix.

Characterisation of the impact of open biomass burning on urban air quality in Brisbane, Australia

Open biomass burning from wildfires and the prescribed burning of forests and farmland is a frequent occurrence in South-East Queensland (SEQ), Australia. This work reports on data collected from 10 to 30 September 2011, which covers the days before (10–14 September), during (15–20 September) and after (21–30 September) a period of biomass burning in SEQ. The aim of this project was to comprehensively quantify the impact of the biomass burning on air quality in Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland. A multi-parameter field measurement campaign was conducted and ambient air quality data from 13 monitoring stations across SEQ were analysed. During the burning period, the average concentrations of all measured pollutants increased (from 20% to 430%) compared to the non-burning period (both before and after burning), except for total xylenes. The average concentration of O3, NO2, SO2, benzene, formaldehyde, PM10, PM2.5 and visibility-reducing particles reached their highest levels for the year, which were up to 10 times higher than annual average levels, while PM10, PM2.5 and SO2 concentrations exceeded the WHO 24-hour guidelines and O3 concentration exceeded the WHO maximum 8-hour average threshold during the burning period. Overall spatial variations showed that all measured pollutants, with the exception of O3, were closer to spatial homogeneity during the burning compared to the non-burning period. In addition to the above, elevated concentrations of three biomass burning organic tracers (levoglucosan, mannosan and galactosan), together with the amount of non-refractory organic particles (PM1) and the average value of f60 (attributed to levoglucosan), reinforce that elevated pollutant concentration levels were due to emissions from open biomass burning events, 70% of which were prescribed burning events. This study, which is the first and most comprehensive of its kind in Australia, provides quantitative evidence of the significant impact of open biomass burning events, especially prescribed burning, on urban air quality. The current results provide a solid platform for more detailed health and modelling investigations in the future.

Three dimensional printing of high dielectric capacitor using projection based stereolithography method

We report that efficient high dielectric polymer/ceramic composite materials can be optically printed into three-dimensional (3D) capacitor by the projection based stereolithography (SLA) method. Surface decoration of Ag on Pb(Zr,Ti)O3(PZT@Ag) particles were used as filler to enhance the dielectric permittivity. Polymer nanocomposites were fabricated by incorporating PZT@Ag particles into the photocurable polymer solutions, followed by exposure to the digitally controlled optical masks to generate 3D structures. The dielectric permittivity of Flex/PZT@Ag composite reaches as high as 120 at 100Hz with 18vol% filler, which is about 30 times higher than that of pure Flex. Furthermore, the dielectric loss is as low as 0.028 at 100Hz. The results are in good agreement with the effective medium theory (EMT) model. The calculated specific capacitance of our 3D printed capacitor is about 63Fg−1 at the current density of 0.5Ag−1. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves indicate 3D printed capacitors possess low resistance and ideal capacitive properties. These results not only provide a tool to fabricate capacitor with complex shapes but lay the groundwork for creating highly efficient polymer-based composites via 3D printing method for electronic applications.

Effects of Hot Chemical Etching and 10-Metacryloxydecyl Dihydrogen Phosphate (MDP) Monomer on the Bond Strength of Zirconia Ceramics to Resin-Based Cements.

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the hot chemical etching method on the shear bond strength between zirconia and two resin cements. Sixty zirconia specimens (13 × 7.5 × 2.5 mm3 ) were prepared and treated as follows: (1) airborne-particle abrasion with 50 μm Al2 O3 particles; (2) hot chemical etching for 10 minutes; (3) hot chemical etching for 30 minutes. Sixty composite cylinders of 3 mm diameter and height were prepared and bonded to zirconia specimens, which were divided into subgroups A and B. Group A: cemented with conventional resin cement (Variolink II); group B: cemented with 10-metacryloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP) monomer containing resin cement (Panavia SA) after the application of surface treatments. Next, the specimens were stored in 37ºC distilled water for 24 hours. Following water storage, shear bond strength test was performed at a 1 mm/min crosshead speed in a universal testing machine. The statistical analyses were performed with one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results from all of the tested groups exhibited lower shear bond strength values than group II-B and higher shear bond strength values than group I-A (p < 0.05). The use of the hot chemical etching method for 10 minutes increased the shear bond strength of zirconia ceramics to both conventional and resin cements and seems to be an effective method. The MDP monomer-containing resin cement, Panavia SA, improved the resin bonding of zirconia ceramics when combined with airborne-particle abrasion.

Effect of Different Surface Treatments on Porcelain-Resin Bond Strength.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various surface treatments on the surface structure and shear bond strength (SBS) of different ceramics. A total of 192 disk-shaped cores were prepared using two all-ceramic systems, of which 168 were submitted to SBS tests, and 24 were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ceramics used were IPS Empress e.max (EX) lithium glass-ceramic and Vita In-Ceram Zirconia glass-infiltrated zirconia (ICZ). The specimens were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 12) on the basis of the surface treatment used: control; SB-sandblasting with 50 μm Al2 O3 particles; CJ-chairside silica coating with 30 μm SiO2 particles and silanization (Clearfil Porcelain Bond Activator); HF-etching in 5% hydrofluoric acid and silanization; ER-etching with an Er:YAG laser (10 W); ND-Nd:YAG laser etching (0.8 W); and FS-etching with a femtosecond laser (860 mW). A luting cement (Clearfil Esthetic) was photopolymerized on each treated ceramic disk. After subjecting the specimens to thermocycling (1000 cycles, 5°C to 55°C), SBS tests were performed using a universal testing machine. The data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests using a significance limit of 5%. Among the EX ceramics, the CJ (29.10 MPa) and HF (26.07 MPa) specimens had statistically higher SBS values. For the ICZ ceramics, the highest value (28.08 MPa) was obtained for the CJ specimens. Silanization after coating with silica improves the bond strengths of both EX and ICZ specimens, while HF etching is favorable only for the EX specimens.

Fe K-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Determination of γ-Al2 O3 -Supported Iron-Oxide Species.

The structure of FeOx species supported on γ-Al2 O3 was investigated by using Fe K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The samples were prepared through the impregnation of iron nitrate on Al2 O3 and co-gelation of aluminum and iron sulfates. The dependence of the XRD patterns on Fe loading revealed the formation of α-Fe2 O3 particles at an Fe loading of above 10 wt %, whereas the formation of iron-oxide crystals was not observed at Fe loadings of less than 9.0 wt %. The Fe K-edge XAFS was characterized by a clear pre-edge peak, which indicated that the FeO coordination structure deviates from central symmetry and that the degree of FeOFe bond formation is significantly lower than that in bulk samples at low Fe loading (<9.0 wt %). Fe K-edge extended XAFS oscillations of the samples with low Fe loadings were explained by assuming an isolated iron-oxide monomer on the γ-Al2 O3 surface.

Fabrication and dielectric properties of Ba(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3/poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites

To combine good dielectric properties and flexibility in high dielectric constant composite materials, the Ba(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 (BFN) particles with giant dielectric constant were dispersed in poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) polymer matrix. The Ba(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3 powders were prepared via the conventional solid-state reaction route. The Ba(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3/poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites were obtained by a physical mixing and a cold press technique. The structure, morphology and dielectric properties have been characterized and discussed in detail. The dielectric constants of the composites increase with the volume fractions of the BFN filler increasing from 20% up to 60% at all frequency (100Hz–1MHz). The BFN/PVDF composite with 60vol% BFN shows the highest dielectric constant (ε′ ~57) at 100Hz at room temperature. The value of dielectric constant of the BFN/PVDF with composite 60vol% BFN is nearly six times as high as that of pure PVDF, which can be attributed to the interfacial polarization between the BFN and PVDF polymer matrix. It is believed that the Ba(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3/poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites with high dielectric constant would be applied in the embedded capacitor field.

Global-scale atmosphere monitoring by in-service aircraft – current achievements and future prospects of the European Research Infrastructure IAGOS

The European Research Infrastructure IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) operates a global-scale monitoring system for atmospheric trace gases, aerosols and clouds utilising the existing global civil aircraft. This new monitoring infrastructure builds on the heritage of the former research projects MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapour on Airbus In-service Aircraft) and CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container). CARIBIC continues within IAGOS and acts as an important airborne measurement reference standard within the wider IAGOS fleet. IAGOS is a major contributor to the in-situ component of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), the successor to the Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security – Atmospheric Service, and is providing data for users in science, weather services and atmospherically relevant policy. IAGOS is unique in collecting regular in-situ observations of reactive gases, greenhouse gases and aerosol concentrations in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UTLS) at high spatial resolution. It also provides routine vertical profiles of these species in the troposphere over continental sites or regions, many of which are undersampled by other networks or sampling studies, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. In combination with MOZAIC and CARIBIC, IAGOS has provided long-term observations of atmospheric chemical composition in the UTLS since 1994. The longest time series are 20 yr of temperature, H2O and O3, and 9–15 yr of aerosols, CO, NOy, CO2, CH4, N2O, SF6, Hg, acetone, ~30 HFCs and ~20 non-methane hydrocarbons. Among the scientific highlights which have emerged from these data sets are observations of extreme concentrations of O3 and CO over the Pacific basin that have never or rarely been recorded over the Atlantic region for the past 12 yr; detailed information on the temporal and regional distributions of O3, CO, H2O, NOy and aerosol particles in the UTLS, including the impacts of cross-tropopause transport, deep convection and lightning on the distribution of these species; characterisation of ice-supersaturated regions in the UTLS; and finally, improved understanding of the spatial distribution of upper tropospheric humidity including the finding that the UTLS is much more humid than previously assumed.

In vivo monitoring of rat macrophages labeled with poly(l-lysine)-iron oxide nanoparticles.

Coprecipitation of FeCl2 and FeCl3 with aqueous ammonia was used to prepare iron oxide nanoparticles dispersible in aqueous medium. Oxidation of the particles with sodium hypochlorite then yielded maghemite (γ-Fe2 O3 ) nanoparticles which were coated with two types of coating -d-mannose or poly(l-lysine) (PLL) as confirmed by FTIR analysis. The particles were <10 nm according to transmission electron microscopy. Their hydrodynamic particle size was ∼180 nm (by dynamic light scattering). The d-mannose-, PLL-coated, and neat γ-Fe2 O3 particles as well as commercial Resovist® were used to label rat macrophages. The viability and contrast properties of labeled macrophages were compared. PLL-coated γ-Fe2 O3 nanoparticles were found optimal. The labeled macrophages were injected to rats monitored in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging up to 48 h. Transport of macrophages labeled with PLL-γ-Fe2 O3 nanoparticles in rats was confirmed. Tracking of macrophages using the developed particles can be used for monitoring of inflammations and cell migration in cell therapy.

Measurement of intravenously administered γ-Fe2O3 particle amount in mice tissues using vibrating sample magnetometer.

Dispersions of platelet γ-Fe2O3 particles 30-50nm in size were intravenously administered to mice and the amount of particles accumulated in each tissue was obtained by magnetization measurement using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Background noise was greatly reduced by measuring dried tissues under a magnetic field of 500 Oe so that the effect of diamagnetism was slight. Remarkable particle accumulation was observed in the liver and spleen. Considerable particle accumulation was observed in the lung when a large quantity of γ-Fe2 O3 particles was administered. There was no significant particle accumulation in the kidney and heart.

Ozonation of diesel–fuel contaminated sand and the implications for remediation end-points

In this study, we investigate specifically the influence of soil grain size and water content on the degradation of n-alkane fractions and the formation of aldehydes and carboxylic acid during ozonation. 15g of quartz sand spiked with diesel (25gkg−1) were exposed to ozone for 20h at concentrations of 10, 30 and 50mgL−1, respectively. Results indicated that ozonation of the n-alkanes in fine grain size sand (0.15–0.25mm) was 1.2 times faster than coarse sand due to higher surface contact area between O3 and sand particles. Soil moisture below 18% w/w did not influence the ozonation efficiency. In contrast the ozonation led to an increase of acidity of the sand samples (pH=3.0) after 20h treatment. This was due to the formation of carboxylic acid. Formaldehyde, one of the key by-products of ozonation, was always <13mgkg−1 after the treatment which is below the industrial soil clean-up target level. While the aldehydes and carboxylic acid further reacted with O3 and their ozonation rate were slower than those of the alkanes suggesting that the hydroxylated by-products accumulated in the sand during the process. Overall the findings demonstrated that not only the alkanes but also aldehydes and carboxylic acid should be considered when defining remediation end-points.

Evaluation of the shear bond strength of resin cement to Y‐TZP ceramic after different surface treatments

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of various surface treatments on the shear bond strength of Y-TZP (Yttria-Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal) ceramics with zirconia primer and two different resin cements both containing 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP). Zirconia blocks (LAVA, 3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN) were polished and assigned to five groups according to the surface treatment: (1) no further treatment (control); (2) airborne abrasion with Al2 O3 particles; (3) Z-PRIME Plus (Bisco, Schaumburg, IL) applied on polished zirconia; (4) Z-PRIME Plus applied on zirconia after airborne abrasion; and (5) tribochemical silica-coating performed with the CoJet system (3M ESPE) followed by application of ESPE®-Sil (3M ESPE). Each group was further divided into one of two resin cements: Panavia F2.0 (Kuraray, Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan) and Clearfil SA Luting (Kuraray). Resin cement placed inside a gel-cap was polymerized on the zirconia surface. Shear bond strength was tested with a universal testing machine at 0.5 mm/min. One-way analysis of variance and paired t-test were done. (p < 0.05), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were taken. Zirconia primer applied after airborne abrasion significantly increased the shear bond strength resulting in the highest value for both resin cements. Control groups for both cements showed the weakest value for shear bond strength. No significant differences were found between the shear bond strengths of the individual resin cements applied to zirconia surfaces treated the same way. In conclusion, the combined surface treatment of airborne abrasion followed by a zirconia primer is recommended for zirconia bonding with Panavia F2.0 and Clearfil SA Luting cements.

Synthesis and electrical properties of (1−x)(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3−xBa(Mg0.5W0.5)O3 piezoelectric ceramics

(1−x)(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3−xBa(Mg0.5W0.5)O3 particles with x = 0.00–0.08 were synthesized by a solvothermal approach at 230 °C for 48 h. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis revealed a rhombohedral–tetragonal morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition existed in the range of x = 0.05–0.06 at room temperature. The ceramics around the phase boundary composition provide excellent piezoelectric properties, i.e., the highest piezoelectric constant, d33, (108 pC/N) could be realized at x value of 0.05. By using a casting sintering method, the ceramics consisted of the oriented rod-like particles with condensed sintering body were obtained, and the piezoelectric properties could be improved to show such a high piezoelectric constant as d33 = 112 pC/N at x value of 0.05.