Material opens up possibility for lead-free electronics

The work, carried out at the UK’s synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source, reveals the potential of a new man-made material to replace lead-based ceramics in electronic devices including inkjet printers, digital cameras, hospital ultrasound scanners and diesel fuel injectors.

European regulations now prohibit the use of most lead-containing materials in electronic and electrical devices. Ceramic crystals, or piezoelectrics, are currently exempt from these regulations but this may change in the future, owing to growing concerns over the disposal of lead-based materials.

Piezoelectric materials generate an electrical field when pressure is applied, and vice-versa. In gas igniters on ovens and fires, for example, piezoelectric crystals produce a high voltage when they are hit with a spring-loaded hammer, generating a spark across a small gap that lights the fuel.

The most common piezoelectric material is a ceramic crystal called lead zirconium titanate (PZT).

Using a high-intensity X-ray beam at Diamond Light Source, the Leeds researchers have now shown that a simple, lead-free ceramic could potentially do the same job as PZT.