Measurement of Young's moduli for lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics

Knowledge of the Young's moduli is necessary for piezoelectric ceramics in order to separate the total deformation into an elastic and a plastic contr ibution. The methods for the determination of the Young's moduli, well know n from conventional ceramics, are much more complicated due to the special electrical boundary conditions. The main aim of the report is to discuss th e question in which mechanical tests the conditions of a constant electrica l field are fulfilled and in which type of test constant dielectric displac ements occur. It will be illustrated that the results from tests with homog eneous stress states are much more trustworthy than results from bending te sts.