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Solid State Processing of BCZT Piezoceramics Using Ultra Low Synthesis and Sintering Temperatures.

Marzia MuredduJosé Florindo BartoloméSonia Lopez-EstebanMaria DoreStefano EnzoÁlvaro GarcíaSebastiano GarroniLorena Pardo
Published in: Materials (Basel, Switzerland) (2023)
Lead-free (Ba 0.92 Ca 0.08 ) (Ti 0.95 Zr 0.05 ) O 3 (BCZT) ceramics were prepared by a solid-state route (SSR) using ultra-low synthesis (700 °C/30 min and 700 °C/2 h) and sintering temperatures (from 1150 °C to 1280 °C), due to prior activation and homogenization by attrition milling of the starting high purity raw materials for 6 h before the synthesis and of the calcined powders for 3 h before the sintering. The comparison of the thermal analysis of the mixture of the starting raw materials and the same mixture after 6 h attrition milling allowed to evidence the mechanisms of activation, resulting in a significant decrease of the perovskite formation temperature (from 854 °C down to 582 °C). The secondary phases that limit the functional properties of the ceramic and their evolution with the sintering conditions were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which allowed the design of a two-step sintering method to eliminate them. A pure tetragonal BCZT perovskite phase (P4mm, c/a = 1.004) and homogeneous ceramic microstructure was obtained for synthesis at 700 °C for 2 h and sintering with the use of a two-step sintering treatment (900 °C for 3 h and 1280 °C for 6 h). The best electromechanical properties achieved were d 33 = 455 pC/N, k p = 35%, Q m = 155.
Keyphrases
  • solid state
  • electron microscopy
  • high resolution
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • high efficiency
  • white matter
  • computed tomography
  • mass spectrometry