Influence of sintering temperature on electrical properties of Fe substituted NdCrO3 relaxor perovskite ceramic materials

Abstract

Temperature-dependent dielectric properties of NdCr1-xFexO3 (0 ≤x≤1) (NCFO) perovskite nanocrystalline materials were successfully studied at 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, and 1 MHz selected frequencies. Temperature dependent real part of dielectric constant (ε′) curves of all samples exhibit step like relaxations. Capacitance (C) have been calculated for x = 0, 0.5, 1 samples of both 450 °C, 900 °C sintered systems at 1 kHz & 315 K and are found to be 4.5x 10-11 F, 1.5x 10-10 F, 3.7x 10-12 F; 1.4x 10-9 F, 2.6x 10-10, 9.3x 10-12 F respectively. Temperature variation real part of impedance (Z′), dielectric loss (tan δ) and imaginary part of modules (M″) plots have shown relaxor behavior. These plots obeyed Arrhenius law, and activation energies (Ea) are found to be in the order of 0.7–0.94 eV indicating semiconductor behavior. It is also noticed that ac conductivity (σac) is progressively increased with augment in temperature. σac have been estimated for x = 0, 0.5, 1 samples of both 450 °C and 900 °C sintered systems at 10 kHz & 315 K which are 4.5x 10-5 S/m, 1x 10-3 S/m, 1.4x 10-7 S/m; 1.8x 10-3 S/m, 1.2x 10-2 S/m, 1x 10-6 S/m respectively. High sintered (900 °C) samples possess high grain growth, and densification, which leads to significant structural and structural and electrical properties. Significant results of samples are suitable for high-power-density capacitors and microwave applications.