Phys.org  August 24, 2024 Electrostrictors, materials developing mechanical strain proportional to the square of the applied electric field, present many advantages for mechanical actuation as they convert electrical energy into mechanical, but not vice versa. Both high relative permittivity and reliance on Pb as the key component in commercial electrostrictors pose serious practical and health problems. An international team of researchers (Israel, USA – Brown University, Stony Brook University) showed that ZrxCe1-xO2 has low relative permittivity, and electromechanical properties as electrostrictors – longitudinal electrostriction strain coefficient, and relaxation frequency. They showed that the elastic dipoles in ZrxCe1-xO2 are formed only […]