Structural and Property Evolution of Aqueous-Based Lead Zirconate Titanate Tape-Cast Layers

• Published in: Journal of the American Ceramic Society 2001-11, Vol.84 (11), p.2495-2500
• Main Authors: Smay, James E., Lewis, Jennifer A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Building materials. Ceramics. Glasses; Ceramic industries; Chemical industry and chemicals; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Electrotechnical and electronic ceramics; Exact sciences and technology; lead zirconate titanate; Niobates, titanates, tantalates, pzt ceramics, etc; Physics; suspensions; tape casting; Technical ceramics
• ISSN: 0002-7820; 1551-2916
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1151-2916.2001.tb01042.x

We have developed aqueous suspensions of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and an acrylic latex emulsion binder for tape casting. Rheological measurements were conducted to optimize their flow behavior at high solids volume fraction (φsolids). Concentrated suspensions (φsolids > 0.45) were tape cast onto a silicone‐coated mylar carrier film, and the effect of cellulose (a viscosifier) and surfactant additions on wetting behavior was studied. Drying stress measurements were performed on tape‐cast layers using a substrate deflection technique. The initial period of stress rise was analogous to that observed for binder‐free ceramic films, whereas the stress decay was influenced by latex coalescence. Tape‐cast layers exhibited a constant PZT volume fraction of 0.49 and uniform binder distribution independent of the PZT/latex volume ratio. The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of sintered multilayer samples were comparable to those obtained for bulk, isopressed samples. Our work provides guidelines for developing aqueous formulations for tape casting complex electroceramic oxide layers.