TY - GEN
T1 - Liquid-phase sintering of PZT ceramics
AU - Corker, D. L.
AU - Whatmore, R. W.
AU - Ringgaard, E.
AU - Wolny, W. W.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Lead zirconate titanate (abbreviated as PZT) ceramics are of considerable commercial importance for a host of piezoelectric and pyroelectric applications. Conventionally, many PZT ceramics are sintered at temperatures above 1250 °C. Such extreme temperatures are undesirable due to the increased energy consumption, limitation of electrode material and evaporation of volatile components. A liquid-phase sintering aid incorporating Cu2O and PbO is presented which demonstrates a reduction in the required sintering temperature of these ceramics. This new aid is described with particular reference to a commercial PZT, termed Pz26, used industrially for its optimized piezoelectric properties. Pz26 has a composition near the morphotropic phase boundary and possesses a tetragonal crystalline structure. Typically this material is sintered between 1260 and 1300 °C for 1 h to achieve the required densification. With the inclusion of sintering aid, sintered densities comparable to those obtained by conventional sintering are achieved at only 800 °C. The optimum weight percentage of sintering aid varies for different ceramic materials, particle size, morphology and the desired sintering temperature. However, with standard `mixed-oxide' produced Pz26 powder and with a median particle size in the range 1.6-1.7 μm, a value of 5 wt.% allows sintering at 800 °C, according to densification, dielectric and piezoelectric measurements (ε = 873, tan δ = 1.13%, kp = 43.1%). When finer grained powder is used (d0.5 = 1.1 μm), improved properties (ε = 960, tan δ = 1.04%, kp = 51.7%) are obtained for an addition of 3 wt.% sintering aid and a sintering temperature of 850 °C.
AB - Lead zirconate titanate (abbreviated as PZT) ceramics are of considerable commercial importance for a host of piezoelectric and pyroelectric applications. Conventionally, many PZT ceramics are sintered at temperatures above 1250 °C. Such extreme temperatures are undesirable due to the increased energy consumption, limitation of electrode material and evaporation of volatile components. A liquid-phase sintering aid incorporating Cu2O and PbO is presented which demonstrates a reduction in the required sintering temperature of these ceramics. This new aid is described with particular reference to a commercial PZT, termed Pz26, used industrially for its optimized piezoelectric properties. Pz26 has a composition near the morphotropic phase boundary and possesses a tetragonal crystalline structure. Typically this material is sintered between 1260 and 1300 °C for 1 h to achieve the required densification. With the inclusion of sintering aid, sintered densities comparable to those obtained by conventional sintering are achieved at only 800 °C. The optimum weight percentage of sintering aid varies for different ceramic materials, particle size, morphology and the desired sintering temperature. However, with standard `mixed-oxide' produced Pz26 powder and with a median particle size in the range 1.6-1.7 μm, a value of 5 wt.% allows sintering at 800 °C, according to densification, dielectric and piezoelectric measurements (ε = 873, tan δ = 1.13%, kp = 43.1%). When finer grained powder is used (d0.5 = 1.1 μm), improved properties (ε = 960, tan δ = 1.04%, kp = 51.7%) are obtained for an addition of 3 wt.% sintering aid and a sintering temperature of 850 °C.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0034325833
U2 - 10.1016/S0955-2219(00)00089-3
DO - 10.1016/S0955-2219(00)00089-3
M3 - Other output
AN - SCOPUS:0034325833
VL - 20
T3 - Journal of the European Ceramic Society
ER -