Ceramic materials harvests electricity from everyday vibrations
29 October 2025 – Researchers at Penn State have enhanced a potassium sodium niobate (KNN) ceramic that converts mechanical vibrations into electricity. Piezoelectric ceramics generate voltage when deformed, making them attractive for harvesting energy from footsteps, machinery or vehicles. The modified KNN material is less dense than conventional lead-based ceramics yet performs competitively in laboratory tests. By adding manganese and carefully tailoring the microstructure through heat treatment, the team achieved aligned grain growth and improved mechanical strength. This boosts the electrical output per vibration and reduces brittleness. Because the material is lead free and biocompatible, the researchers also see opportunities in sensors and self-powered medical implants, such as pacemakers or neural stimulators.
