Abstract
The improvement of the piezoelectric properties of low-temperature-fabricated 0.375Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.25PbZrO3-0.375PbTiO3 (PMNZT) ceramics with a LiBiO2 sintering aid was investigated by adopting a post-annealing process. The sinterability of PMNZT powders was markedly enhanced by liquid phase sintering with the addition of LiBiO2, resulting in a decrease in the required sintering temperature from 1000 to 800°C and the formation of a grain boundary layer. And, it was confirmed by a transmission electron microscope-X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (TEM-EDS) that the secondary phase along grain boundaries, which deteriorated the piezoelectric properties, included Pb diffused from PMNZT grains as well as Bi from the LiBiO2 additive. The secondary phase along grain boundaries was significantly removed by annealing after sintering. The 0.75 wt% LiBiO2-added PMNZT ceramics sintered at 800°C for 2 h with post-annealing at 800°C for 10 h exhibited a higher electromechanical coupling factor (kp) of 60.8% and a higher piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of 504 pm/V (at 15 kV/cm), compared with those of the sintered specimens without post-annealing. Also, LiBiO2-added PMNZT multilayer ceramics with Ag internal electrodes were successfully sintered at 800°C. The post-annealed multilayer ceramics sintered at 800°C exhibited a higher d33 value of 506 pm/V. Thus, a low-temperature sintering technique with post-annealing for the removal of the grain boundary layer without deteriorating piezoelectric properties was established.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
