Regulations are in place to restrict the use of lead in commercial products and these are expected to become even stricter in the future. For example, the active material in most ultrasound equipment and other piezoelectric devices is the ceramic oxide Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT), which contains about 64% lead by weight. At present, PZT is exempt from the RoHS EU Directive that prohibits the use of lead, but this exemption is only valid until 2021, 2023 or 2024, depending on application area.
We have invited leading European experts to discuss various challenges associated with replacing PZT with alternative materials. This includes Prof. Jürgen Rödel (TU Darmstadt) who will talk about lead-free materials, the international competition in the field, and how the new materials can replace PZT in applications. Dr. Otmar Deubzer (Fraunhofer IZM) will give an overview of the related regulatory and environmental issues. Perspectives from a supplier will be given by a representative from Meggitt in Denmark, one of Europe's largest producers of piezoelectric ceramics. We will also have presentations from selected industrial and academic representatives to cover relevant aspects of the Norwegian research activities.
The target audience includes technology experts and decision-makers in companies offering ultrasound-based and other piezoelectric equipment and services in the Scandinavian countries.
Venue and travel
The seminar will be held in SINTEF's meeting rooms in Forskningsveien 1, Oslo (Norway). The venue is easily reached by T-bane (metro) lines 4 and 5 to Forskningsparken station or line 1 to Gaustad station. From Oslo Airport, the most convenient route is by the Airport Express Train to Oslo Sentralstasjon, then the T-bane direction west-bound.
Program
| Time |
Title |
Presenter |
|
09:30 |
Registration, coffee |
|
|
10:00 |
Welcome, introduction |
Henrik Ræder, SINTEF |
|
10:05-10:50 |
Perspective of the transfer of lead-free piezoceramics into application |
Jürgen Rödel, TU Darmstadt |
|
10:50-11:35 |
Perspective of renewal of RoHS and ELV exemptions enabling the continued use of lead in piezoceramic applications |
Otmar Deubzer, Fraunhofer IZM |
|
|
Break |
|
|
11:50-12:20 |
Lead-free piezoceramics from a material supplier's perspective |
Erling Ringgaard, Meggitt A/S |
|
12:20-12:40 |
Consequences of lead free piezoceramics for long range underwater oceanographic instruments |
Christopher Grinde, Nortek AS |
|
|
Lunch |
|
|
13:30-14:00 |
Panel discussion |
|
|
14:00-14:20 |
Lead-free piezoceramics for ultrasound transducers - requirements, limitations and opportunities |
Lars Hoff, University of South-Eastern Norway |
|
14:20-14:40 |
From bulk to nanoparticles - research activities on piezoelectrics at NTNU |
Julia Glaum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology |
|
|
Break |
|
|
14:50-15:10 |
Research on lead-free piezoelectric ceramics in SINTEF |
Per Martin Rørvik, SINTEF Industry |
|
15:10-15:30 |
Piezoelectric ultrasound transducers – some comments on noise |
Tonni Franke Johansen, SINTEF Digital |
Main presenters
Jürgen Rödel is one of Europe's leading experts on lead-free piezoceramics and their applications in devices. He is professor in materials science at TU Darmstadt, Germany, distinguished visiting professor at Tsinghua University in China, and specially appointed professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.
Otmar Deubzer is at Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM). Since 2006, he has been reviewing the exemptions from the substance regulations of the RoHS Directive for the European Commission. He graduated as an environmental engineer at TU Berlin and holds a degree in medicine.
