Ferroelectric properties and microstructure of doped PbTiO₃ ceramics

Abstract

Modified PbTiO₃ ceramics are new materials with applications in ultrasonic transducers. PbTiO₃ ceramics modified with Nd³⁺, Zn²⁺, Mn⁴⁺ and Nb⁵⁺ have been prepared and characterized by X-rays. The effect of different sintering times on dielectric properties and the average grain size are reported in this paper. The dielectric constant was found to increase with sintering time. Introduction of niobium decreases the transition temperature T_c . The average grain diameter increases with sintering time. The addition of small amount of dopants control the grain growth with average grain size ranging from 1.26 μm to 3.42 μm.