Composite material obtained with modified lead titanate (Pz34) ferroelectric ceramic and polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) polymer matrix was used as sensitive component to measure X-ray intensity in a novel detection system. The sensing element works as a thermal transducer, converting a non-quantified thermal flux into an output measurable quantity of electrical voltage. The samples were obtained up to 60 vol.% of ceramic, by hot pressing the mixture of Pz34 and PEEK powders at 368 °C and applying 12 MPa pressure for 2.0 hours. The sensor response varies from 2.70 to 0.80 V in the energy fluence rate range of 6.30 to 37.20 W.m-2. The absorbed incident energy was analyzed as a function of the ionizing energy. Furthermore, by measuring the pyroelectric activity of the composite film it was observed that there is no degradation of the sensor after the irradiation.

Flexible, free-standing piezo and pyroelectric composite with 0 to 3 connectivity was made up from Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) powder and poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) copolymer. The pyroelectric and the piezoelectric longitudinal (d33) coefficients were measured. A 50/50 vol.% PZT/PVDF-HFP composite resulted in piezo and pyroelectric coefficients of d33 = 25.0 pC/N and p = 4.5 × 10-4 C/m²K at 70 °C, respectively. Analysis of the complex permittivity in a wide range of frequency was carried out indicating lower permittivity of the composite in comparison with a permittivity of the PZT ceramic. The low value of the permittivity gives a high pyroelectric figure of merit indicating that this material can be used to build a temperature sensor in spite of the lower pyroelectric coefficient compared with PZT.

A flexible piezoelectric composite with 0-3 connectivity, made from Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) powder and vegetable-based polyurethane (PU), was doped with small amount of semiconductor powder. As a result a composite with 0-0-3 connectivity was obtained. The nature of absorption and steady state electrical conduction and the dielectric behaviour have been studied for this ceramic/polymer composite. The dielectric loss processes of the composite were observed to be dominated by those the polymer. Adding a semiconductor phase in the composite the electrical conductivity can be controlled and a continuous electric flux path could be created between the PZT grains. This composite may be poled at low voltage and in shorter time compared with composites without a conductive phase.