Enhanced piezo response in mechanically activated and microwave sintered PLZT 8/60/40 ceramics

Abstract

In this present study, the issue of lead volatility in (Pb0.92La0.08)(Zr0.60Ti0.40)O3 (PLZT 8/60/40) ceramics is addressed by the combinatorial approach of high energy ball milling and microwave sintering. The XRD patterns were used for the phase analysis. Higher relative density (∼99%) and uniform grain distribution (∼1.2 μm) were found for PLZT 8/60/40 ceramics, which was microwave sintered at 1150°C. The dielectric constant for the unpoled PLZT ceramics was found to be ∼2100 at 1 kHz frequency with very low dielectric loss (∼0.03). The saturated P-E and S-E ferroelectric hysteresis loops as well as the domain switching current peak in I-E loop confirms the ferroelectric nature of PLZT ceramics. The high remnant polarization ∼33 μC/cm2, low coercive field ∼10 kV/cm and high strain ∼0.26%, was shown by the ceramics which was microwave sintered at 1150°C. The piezoelectric charge (d33) was found to be ∼575 pC/N.