Accurate phenomenological constitutive laws for ferroelectric ceramics that can be rapidly integrated are required for finite element models aiming to resolve the complex fields in ferroelectric devices. At best, phenomenological theories can provide a framework within which thermodynamic restrictions are satisfied and undetermined functions exist for "fitting" material behavior. The ultimate challenge in deriving a final constitutive law is to capture the physics of the material deformation and polarization processes within these undetermined functions. A number of micro-electromechanical models exist in the literature. These models are bases on domain switching events at the domain/grain level and then are generalized to polycrystalline behavior by averaging over many different domain/grain orientations. In this work it will be shown how information obtained from these micro-electromechanical models can be incorporated directly into the undetermined functions of a phenomenological theory.

Date Published: 13 August 2003
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 5053, Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Active Materials: Behavior and Mechanics, (13 August 2003);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5053:
Smart Structures and Materials 2003: Active Materials: Behavior and Mechanics
Dimitris C. Lagoudas, Editor(s)