ForMatter/Materials/smart/PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate)
mat_smart_pzt

PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate)

perovskite piezoelectric ceramic · PZT, Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃, piezo ceramic
highlast updated 2026-04-27
metallic 0.00
hue shift +0°

The most-used piezoelectric material on Earth — a ceramic that converts mechanical strain to voltage and vice versa. The buzzer in a smoke alarm, the actuator in an inkjet printhead, the depth sensor in an ultrasound transducer, the spark in most gas-grill ignitors. PZT contains lead, which makes it a regulated material in many EU end-uses (RoHS exempts it for now, but lead-free alternatives are an active research target).

Pb(Zr_xTi_{1-x})O₃ perovskite ceramic (typically x ≈ 0.5 — the morphotropic phase boundary, where piezoelectric coupling peaks). Curie temperature 200–400 °C depending on composition and doping. Piezoelectric coefficient d₃₃ ranges 250–700 pC/N for soft (donor-doped) grades. Density ~7.6 g/cm³. Brittle ceramic — fails by fracture rather than yield; service stresses must stay well below the cracking limit.

mechanical

  • density_kg_m37600
source: PI Ceramic datasheet; APC International data

piezoelectric

  • d33_pc_n_soft500
  • curie_temp_c_typical350
source: PI Ceramic datasheet

Sustainability

  • embodied carbon kg co2e per kg12
  • sourceEditorial estimate from ICE / Granta CES EduPack class databases — industry mean, with cradle-to-gate boundary unless otherwise noted. Embodied carbon for any specific product depends on supplier mix, recycled content, and energy grid; verify against a primary source before using these numbers in a sustainability claim.
  • recyclabilitylow — lead content requires hazardous-waste treatment
  • biodegradableFalse
  • certificationsEU RoHS exemption for Pb in PZT (currently extended)
visual
matte off-white ceramic disc / plate; often with electroded silver surfaces
tactile
brittle ceramic feel

PBR starter values

Principled BSDF defaults derived from the sphere matte finish. Reasonable seed for Blender, Substance, Keyshot, Rhino — tune per material.

# finish:      matte
albedo        #c8c4b8
metallic      0.00
roughness     0.75
ior           1.45
transmission  0.00
clearcoat     0.00
sheen         0.00
anisotropic   0.00
copy as JSON 
{
  "albedo": "#c8c4b8",
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.75,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "transmission": 0.0,
  "clearcoat": 0.0,
  "sheen": 0.0,
  "anisotropic": 0.0
}
Blender 4.x Python 
# Blender 4.x — Principled BSDF
# PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) · finish: matte
import bpy
mat = bpy.data.materials.new(name="mat_smart_pzt")
mat.use_nodes = True
bsdf = mat.node_tree.nodes["Principled BSDF"]
bsdf.inputs["Base Color"].default_value         = (0.5776, 0.552, 0.4793, 1.0)
bsdf.inputs["Metallic"].default_value           = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Roughness"].default_value          = 0.750
bsdf.inputs["IOR"].default_value                = 1.450
bsdf.inputs["Transmission Weight"].default_value = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Coat Weight"].default_value        = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Sheen Weight"].default_value       = 0.000
bsdf.inputs["Anisotropic"].default_value        = 0.000
KeyShot Python (lux) 
# KeyShot 11+ — lux Python API, Generic material
# PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) · finish: matte
# Run from Window → Scripting Console
import lux
mat = lux.createMaterial(name="mat_smart_pzt", materialType="Generic")
mat.setProperty("diffuse",      (200, 196, 184))   # 8-bit sRGB
mat.setProperty("metallic",     0.000)
mat.setProperty("roughness",    0.750)
mat.setProperty("indexOfRefraction", 1.450)
mat.setProperty("transparency", 0.000)
mat.setProperty("coatingWeight", 0.000)
Substance pbrMetalRough 
{
  "_format": "Substance Designer / Painter \u2014 pbrMetalRough constants",
  "_about": "PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) \u00b7 finish: matte",
  "baseColor": {
    "r": 0.5776,
    "g": 0.552,
    "b": 0.4793
  },
  "metallic": 0.0,
  "roughness": 0.75,
  "ior": 1.45,
  "opacity": 1.0,
  "anisotropyLevel": 0.0,
  "_notes": "Channels listed are the standard Substance pbrMetalRough output. Drop into a Uniform Color node per channel, or as the constant input on a layered stack."
}
glTF 2.0 Metallic-Roughness 
{
  "asset": {
    "version": "2.0",
    "generator": "ForMatter"
  },
  "materials": [
    {
      "name": "mat_smart_pzt",
      "pbrMetallicRoughness": {
        "baseColorFactor": [
          0.5776,
          0.552,
          0.4793,
          1.0
        ],
        "metallicFactor": 0.0,
        "roughnessFactor": 0.75
      },
      "extensions": {
        "KHR_materials_ior": {
          "ior": 1.45
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
USD Preview Surface 
# USD Preview Surface — UsdShade.MaterialLook prim attributes
# PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) · finish: matte
def Material "mat_smart_pzt" {
    token outputs:surface.connect = </mat_smart_pzt/PreviewSurface.outputs:surface>

    def Shader "PreviewSurface" {
        uniform token info:id = "UsdPreviewSurface"
        color3f inputs:diffuseColor = (0.5776, 0.552, 0.4793)
        float   inputs:metallic     = 0.000
        float   inputs:roughness    = 0.750
        float   inputs:ior          = 1.450
        float   inputs:opacity      = 1.000
        float   inputs:clearcoat    = 0.000
        token   outputs:surface
    }
}
↓ download glTF material

Citations