Inertial piezoelectric device

1. An inertial piezoelectric device, comprising:

A) piezoelectric capacitor comprising:

1) a substrate;

2) a first dry piezoelectric layer (first dry PL) comprising a piezoelectric material and having first and second opposing surfaces;

3) a first electrode comprising a first dry electrically-conductive layer arranged contiguously with the first opposing surface of the first dry PL, wherein the first dry electrically-conductive layer (first dry ECL-P) consists essentially of:

(a) an electrically-conductive material; and

(b) particles distributed within the (a) electrically-conductive material, the (b) particles having a Young's modulus that is different from the Young's modulus of the (a) electrically-conductive material by at least 10%, and which (b) particles have a d50 of at least 500 nm and up to and including 500 μm and a polydispersity coefficient that is less than 3;

provided that:

the weight ratio of the (b) particles to the (a) electrically-conductive material is at least 0.01:1 and up to and including 10:1, and

when the first dry ECL-P is arranged adjacent to an insulating substrate, it exhibits a resistivity of less than 10,000 ohms-cm; and

4) a second electrode arranged contiguously with the second opposing surface of the first dry PL;

B) signal processing electronics in electrical communication with the piezoelectric capacitor;

C) a means for converting all or a portion of an applied force to an inertial force that is transmitted to the first dry PL; and optionally

D) a proof mass that is contiguous with at least one external surface of the piezoelectric capacitor, and

optionally, the first dry ECL-P further including (c) a binder material that is non-electrically-conductive and has a weight average molecular weight of at least 5,000.

2. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (b) particles are composed of one or more polymeric materials.

3. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (b) particles are composed of one or more inorganic materials.

4. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (c) non-electrically conductive binder material is present in the first dry ECL-P, which (c) non-electrically conductive binder material comprises one or more polyurethanes, acrylate polymers, polyvinyl acetals, or polyacrylate precursors to an acrylate polymer.

5. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (c) non-electrically conductive binder material is present in the first dry ECL-P in an amount of at least 0.1 weight % and up to and including 10 weight %, based on the total weight of the first dry ECL-P.

6. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (b) particles have a polydispersity coefficient that is less than or equal to 1.5.

7. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (b) particles have a polydispersity coefficient that is less than or equal to 1.25.

8. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the first dry piezoelectric layer (first dry PL) comprises beta phase polyvinylidene fluoride.

9. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the first dry piezoelectric layer (first dry PL) comprises a single crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic.

10. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , wherein the (a) electrically-conductive material consists essentially of electrically-conductive silver nanoparticles.

11. The inertial piezoelectric device of claim 1 , further comprising a second dry piezoelectric layer (second dry PL) comprising a piezoelectric material, which second dry PL is arranged contiguously with the second electrode.