article published yes Claus Scheidemann author 38259 Peter Bornmann author Walter Littmann author Tobias Hemsel author 210 151 department <jats:p>Today’s ultrasonic transducers find broad application in diverse technology branches and most often cannot be replaced by other actuators. They are typically based on lead-containing piezoelectric ceramics. These should be replaced for environmental and health issues by lead-free alternatives. Multiple material alternatives are already known, but there is a lack of information about their technological readiness level. To fill this gap, a small series of prestressed longitudinally vibrating transducers was set up with a standard PZT material and two lead-free variants within this study. The entire process for building the transducers is documented: characteristics of individual ring ceramics, burn-in results, and free vibration and characteristics under load are shown. The main result is that the investigated lead-free materials are ready to use within ultrasonic bolted Langevin transducers (BLTs) for medium-power applications, when the geometrical setup of the transducer is adopted. Since lead-free ceramics need higher voltages to achieve the same power level, the driving electronics or the mechanical setup must be altered specifically for each material. Lower self-heating of the lead-free materials might be attractive for heat-sensitive processes.</jats:p> MDPI AG2025 eng 2076-082510.3390/act14020055 142 Scheidemann, Claus, Peter Bornmann, Walter Littmann, and Tobias Hemsel. “Lead-Free Ceramics in Prestressed Ultrasonic Transducers.” <i>Actuators</i> 14, no. 2 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055">https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055</a>. C. Scheidemann, P. Bornmann, W. Littmann, T. Hemsel, Actuators 14 (2025). Scheidemann C, Bornmann P, Littmann W, Hemsel T. Lead-Free Ceramics in Prestressed Ultrasonic Transducers. <i>Actuators</i>. 2025;14(2). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055">10.3390/act14020055</a> @article{Scheidemann_Bornmann_Littmann_Hemsel_2025, title={Lead-Free Ceramics in Prestressed Ultrasonic Transducers}, volume={14}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055">10.3390/act14020055</a>}, number={255}, journal={Actuators}, publisher={MDPI AG}, author={Scheidemann, Claus and Bornmann, Peter and Littmann, Walter and Hemsel, Tobias}, year={2025} } Scheidemann, Claus, et al. “Lead-Free Ceramics in Prestressed Ultrasonic Transducers.” <i>Actuators</i>, vol. 14, no. 2, 55, MDPI AG, 2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055">10.3390/act14020055</a>. Scheidemann, C., Bornmann, P., Littmann, W., &#38; Hemsel, T. (2025). Lead-Free Ceramics in Prestressed Ultrasonic Transducers. <i>Actuators</i>, <i>14</i>(2), Article 55. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055">https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055</a> C. Scheidemann, P. Bornmann, W. Littmann, and T. Hemsel, “Lead-Free Ceramics in Prestressed Ultrasonic Transducers,” <i>Actuators</i>, vol. 14, no. 2, Art. no. 55, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/act14020055">10.3390/act14020055</a>. 585102025-02-04T13:43:23Z2025-02-04T13:46:41Z