High-Energy Density Ceramic Composition in the System Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-Pb[(Zn,Ni)1/3Nb2/3]O3

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2006-10, Vol.89 (10), p.3147-3156
• Main Authors: Islam, Rashed Adnan, Priya, Shashank
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Building materials. Ceramics. Glasses; Ceramic industries; Chemical industry and chemicals; Electrotechnical and electronic ceramics; Exact sciences and technology; Technical ceramics
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2006.01205.x

This study reports a high‐energy density piezoelectric polycrystalline ceramic composition in the system Pb(Zr1−xTix)O3–Pb[(Zn1−yNiy)1/3Nb2/3]O3 (PZT–PZNN). Two different Zr/Ti ratios in the PZT system were investigated: 52/48 corresponding to morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) and 56/44 corresponding to the tetragonal phase. The compositions investigated in this study are represented as: 0.9Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3–0.1Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 [0.9PZT (52:48)–0.1PZN]+y wt% MnCO3, where y varies from 0 to 0.9 wt% and 0.9Pb(Zr0.56Ti0.44)O3–0.1Pb[(Zn0.8Ni0.2)1/3Nb2/3]O3 [0.9PZT (56:44)–0.1PZNN] +y mol% MnO2, where y varies from 1 to 3 mol%. A high‐energy density material is characterized by the large magnitude of the product of the piezoelectric voltage constant (g) and the piezoelectric strain constant (d) given as (dg). The condition for obtaining large magnitude of dg was derived to be as |d|=ɛn, where ɛ is the permittivity of the material and n is a material constant having a lower limit of 0.5. The d33.g33 value of the samples having composition 0.9 PZT (56:44)–0.1 PZNN+2 mol% MnO2 (sintered in two steps at 1100°–1000°C) was found to be 18456.2 × 10−15 m2/N, which, to the knowledge of the authors, is the highest value reported for polycrystalline ceramics. This composition was also found to exhibit a high magnitude of g33 as 83.1 V·(m·N)−1, corresponding to the magnitude of n as 1.126.