An analytical axisymmetric model for the poling-history dependent behavior of ferroelectricceramics

Abstract

The poling-history dependent behavior of ferroelectric ceramics has beeninvestigated by experimental tests. A suddenly poled ferroelectric ceramic wasfound to have significantly larger remnant polarization and strain than thecorresponding values of a gradually poled one. To explain this phenomenon, a newdomain-switching criterion for ferroelectric ceramics is proposed, in which each180° switching is dividedinto two successive 90° switchings. In a suddenly poled ceramic, the strong intergranular interaction after the first90° switching is favorable for accomplishing the second90° switching. The effects of poling-dependent effects are then taken intoaccount by evaluating different levels of energy dissipation after the first90° switching. The domain orientation distribution function (ODF) as well as the macroscopicpolarization and strain are analytically derived under cyclic electric loading. In thenon-dissipation case, the macroscopic polarization of a ferroelectric ceramic can be ideallysaturated as long as the magnitude of the applied electric field exceeds (EC is the coercive field), while in the full dissipation case, the maximum macroscopicpolarization is related to the magnitude of the applied electric field. The hysteresis loopsfor the non-dissipation case are almost identical to the corresponding loops of asuddenly poled ceramic, and the hysteresis loops for the full dissipation case arevery close to those of a gradually poled ceramic. The good agreement betweenthe analytical and experimental results indicates the validity of the proposedmodel in describing the poling-history dependent effects in ferroelectric ceramics.