Effects of Soaking Time on Properties of PMNT Ceramics Fabricated by Agar Gel-Casting Method

Abstract

In this study, Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)_0.65Ti_0.35O₃ (PMNT) ceramics were prepared by a water-based gel-casting method. The gel-cast mixtures were dried through soaking in acetone with different soaking times (7, 10, 13, 16 and 19 days). Effects of acetone soaking times on phase, density, microstructure, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of prepared ceramics were aimed to investigate. Acetone soaking time did not affect crystal structure and density of the prepared ceramics. Average grain size increased doubly as acetone soaking time raised up to 13 days. With increasing acetone soaking time, dielectric constant tended to increase while loss tangent decreased. The acetone soaking time of 7 days was found to be an optimum time period for drying gel-cast mixture which led to PMNT ceramics with optimum ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties, i.e. P_r, E_c, d₃₃ and g₃₃ of 21.8 µC/cm², 7.8 kV/cm, 306 pC/N and 20.8 × 10⁻³ V⋅m/N, respectively, which were comparable to PMNT ceramics formed by dry-pressing technique.

Keywords:

• PMNT
• piezoelectric
• gel-casting
• soaking time
• energy harvesting

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Department of Materials Science and Technology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Natural Rubber Innovation Research Institute, Prince of Songkla University (Grant No. SCI601093S).