Stress-dependent ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr1/2Ti1/2)O-3-Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O-3 ceramic systems

Effects of compressive stress on the ferroelectric properties of ceramics in PZT-PZN systems were investigated. (1 - x)Pb(Zr1/2Ti1/2)O-3(xPb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O-3 or (1 - x)PZT-(x)PZN (x = 0.1-0.5) ceramics were prepared by a conventional mixed-oxide method. The ferroelectric properties under compressive stress of the PZT-PZN ceramics were observed at stress levels up to 170 MPa using a compressometer in conjunction with a modified Sawyer-Tower circuit. It was found that with increasing compressive stress the area of the ferroelectric hysteresis (P-E) loops, the saturation polarization (P-sat), the remanent polarization (P-r), and the coercive field (E-c) decreased. These results were interpreted through the non-180 degrees ferroelectric domain switching processes. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.