Page 143 - eBook_Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Manufacturing V2

Fabrication and Characterization of a Low-Cost Piezoelectric using Rochelle
Salt for Energy Harvesting and Sensor Applications

Figure 58: Testing of the piezoelectric device using the impact
hammer method

CONCLUSIONS

Developing piezoelectric thin films using Rochelle Salt and
aluminium tape has presented considerable difficulty for
researchers. Instability resulting from the high sensitivity of
Rochelle salt to humidity and temperature, which sometimes
renders its desirable characteristics inefficient, has made it almost
impossible to develop a smooth and perfect film due to the
difficult crystallisation process of the salt. Affixing Rochelle Salt
to aluminium tape has been a challenge; therefore, by itself,
considering how differently those materials behave upon
uncovering to heat or pressure. There is also the dubious question
of electrical reliability on how well the piezoelectric response can
be ensured without exhibiting some malfunctions, such as short-
circuits, which need careful attention.

To make everything even harder, Rochelle salt does normally
dissolve poorly in non-aqueous solvents like N, N-
dimethylformamide (DMF), which limits the handling
possibilities for experimental investigations. Furthermore, it has

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