Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters

Amulya Raj; Caroline Duc; Hui Shen; Timo Punkari; Matti Mäntysalo; Cedric Samuel

doi:10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters

Amulya Raj, Caroline Duc, Hui Shen, Timo Punkari, Matti Mäntysalo, Cedric Samuel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

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Abstract

Piezoelectric transducers play a crucial role in energy harvesting and sensing applications within the automotive industry. Vibrational Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters (VPEH) effectively harness dynamic mechanical inputs such as high-frequency vibrations in vehicles. Traditional transducers rely on lead-based ceramics, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which pose environmental and health risks. This study explores biosourced and recyclable alternatives, focusing on polylactic acid (PLA) due to its biobased nature, ease of processing, and comparable piezoelectric properties. A novel VPEH prototype, constructed primarily from PLA, was developed with enhanced piezoelectric properties (13 pC/N), direct ink-printed silver electrodes on PLA substrate, and 3D-printed PLA cantilever beams optimized for vibrational energy harvesting at ∼ 30 Hz resonance frequency. The VPEH prototype demonstrated thermal stability, cost-effective manufacturability, and shows a potential to generate power (higher than 10 μW) for automotive sensor applications.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings
Publisher	IEEE
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Electronic)	979-8-3315-0999-6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632
Publication status	Published - 2025
Publication type	A4 Article in conference proceedings
Event	IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems - Singapore, Singapore Duration: 22 Jun 2025 → 25 Jun 2025

Publication series

Name	IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems
ISSN (Electronic)	2832-8256

Conference

Conference	IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems
Country/Territory	Singapore
City	Singapore
Period	22/06/25 → 25/06/25

Keywords

automotive sensors
biopolymer materials
direct ink writing
Piezoelectric energy harvesting
PLA

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Instrumentation
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters
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Accepted author manuscript, 631 KBLicence: Unspecified

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202509169273Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

Raj, A., Duc, C., Shen, H., Punkari, T., Mäntysalo, M., & Samuel, C. (2025). Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters. In FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings (IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

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title = "Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters",

abstract = "Piezoelectric transducers play a crucial role in energy harvesting and sensing applications within the automotive industry. Vibrational Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters (VPEH) effectively harness dynamic mechanical inputs such as high-frequency vibrations in vehicles. Traditional transducers rely on lead-based ceramics, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which pose environmental and health risks. This study explores biosourced and recyclable alternatives, focusing on polylactic acid (PLA) due to its biobased nature, ease of processing, and comparable piezoelectric properties. A novel VPEH prototype, constructed primarily from PLA, was developed with enhanced piezoelectric properties (13 pC/N), direct ink-printed silver electrodes on PLA substrate, and 3D-printed PLA cantilever beams optimized for vibrational energy harvesting at ∼ 30 Hz resonance frequency. The VPEH prototype demonstrated thermal stability, cost-effective manufacturability, and shows a potential to generate power (higher than 10 μW) for automotive sensor applications.",

keywords = "automotive sensors, biopolymer materials, direct ink writing, Piezoelectric energy harvesting, PLA",

author = "Amulya Raj and Caroline Duc and Hui Shen and Timo Punkari and Matti M{\"a}ntysalo and Cedric Samuel",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 IEEE.; IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems ; Conference date: 22-06-2025 Through 25-06-2025",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632",

language = "English",

series = "IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems",

publisher = "IEEE",

booktitle = "FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings",

address = "United States",

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Raj, A, Duc, C, Shen, H, Punkari, T , Mäntysalo, M & Samuel, C 2025, Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters. in FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings. IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems, IEEE, IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Singapore, Singapore, 22/06/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters. / Raj, Amulya; Duc, Caroline; Shen, Hui et al.
FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings. IEEE, 2025. (IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters

AU - Raj, Amulya

AU - Duc, Caroline

AU - Shen, Hui

AU - Punkari, Timo

AU - Mäntysalo, Matti

AU - Samuel, Cedric

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Piezoelectric transducers play a crucial role in energy harvesting and sensing applications within the automotive industry. Vibrational Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters (VPEH) effectively harness dynamic mechanical inputs such as high-frequency vibrations in vehicles. Traditional transducers rely on lead-based ceramics, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which pose environmental and health risks. This study explores biosourced and recyclable alternatives, focusing on polylactic acid (PLA) due to its biobased nature, ease of processing, and comparable piezoelectric properties. A novel VPEH prototype, constructed primarily from PLA, was developed with enhanced piezoelectric properties (13 pC/N), direct ink-printed silver electrodes on PLA substrate, and 3D-printed PLA cantilever beams optimized for vibrational energy harvesting at ∼ 30 Hz resonance frequency. The VPEH prototype demonstrated thermal stability, cost-effective manufacturability, and shows a potential to generate power (higher than 10 μW) for automotive sensor applications.

AB - Piezoelectric transducers play a crucial role in energy harvesting and sensing applications within the automotive industry. Vibrational Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters (VPEH) effectively harness dynamic mechanical inputs such as high-frequency vibrations in vehicles. Traditional transducers rely on lead-based ceramics, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), which pose environmental and health risks. This study explores biosourced and recyclable alternatives, focusing on polylactic acid (PLA) due to its biobased nature, ease of processing, and comparable piezoelectric properties. A novel VPEH prototype, constructed primarily from PLA, was developed with enhanced piezoelectric properties (13 pC/N), direct ink-printed silver electrodes on PLA substrate, and 3D-printed PLA cantilever beams optimized for vibrational energy harvesting at ∼ 30 Hz resonance frequency. The VPEH prototype demonstrated thermal stability, cost-effective manufacturability, and shows a potential to generate power (higher than 10 μW) for automotive sensor applications.

KW - automotive sensors

KW - biopolymer materials

KW - direct ink writing

KW - Piezoelectric energy harvesting

KW - PLA

U2 - 10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

DO - 10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:105013753382

T3 - IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems

BT - FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings

PB - IEEE

T2 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems

Y2 - 22 June 2025 through 25 June 2025

ER -

Raj A, Duc C, Shen H, Punkari T , Mäntysalo M, Samuel C. Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters. In FLEPS 2025 - IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems, Proceedings. IEEE. 2025. (IEEE international conference on flexible and printable sensors and systems). doi: 10.1109/FLEPS65444.2025.11105632

Sustainable PLA Innovations for Recyclable Piezoelectric Transducers and Harvesters

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

Publication forum classification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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