COMPOSITIONAL FLUCTUATIONS AND PROPERTIES OF FINE-GRAINED ACCEPTOR-DOPED PZT CERAMICS

Fine-grained acceptor-doped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics wer e sintered in a wide range of temperatures and times. The differences in dielectric and piezoelectric properties were relevant and quite ind ependent of grain size. The incorporation of acceptor dopant into the solid solution of PZT was responsible for the change of properties, th e evolution Of secondary phases and the weight loss behaviour. The PbO rich phase located between grains displaced from the PbO-PZT system t o PbO-PZ system when il on cations entered the PZT lattice. At this ti me, precipitated monoclinic grains of zirconia among with tetragonal p erovskite grains revealed the compositional fluctuations. After the ir on cations entered into solid solution the liquid formed dissolved new PZT grains again and displaced to PbO-PZT system with increasing of w eight loss. Decomposition experiments revealed also the nature and the evolution of the second phases that are in accordance with TEM observ ations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited.. All rights reserved.