Electrocaloric properties of (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-xPbTiO(3) ferroelectric ceramics near room temperature

Electrocaloric effects of (1 - x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-xPbTiO(3) [abbreviated a s (1 - x)PMN-xPT] ferroelectric ceramics with x being, 0.08, 0.10, and 0.25 , respectively, were measured near room temperature, and the origins of the electrocaloric effects of these ceramics were discussed. It was found that these ceramics possess large electrocaloric effect with Delta T being, mor e than 1 K under an electric field of 1.5 kV mm(-1) in a wide temperature r ange (more than 10 K) near room temperature, and this effect is due to both of the electrocaloric effect resulting from the electric field induced fir st-order phase transition and the linear electrocaloric effect. It is expec ted that these ceramics could be used for multi-stage cascade ferroelectric refrigeration near room temperature, (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All ri ghts reserved.