• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.634-641
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• 2004

The photocatalytic performance of $TiO_2$ thin films coated on porous alumina balls using various aqueous $TiOCl_2$ solutions as starting precursors, to which 1.0 $mol\%$ transition metal ($Ni^{2+},\;Cr^{3+},\;Fe^{3+},\;Nb^{3+},\;and\;V^{5+}$) chlorides had been already added, has been investigated, together with characterizations for $TiO_2$ sols synthesized simultaneously in the same autoclave through hydrothermal method. The synthesized $TiO_2$ sols were all formed with an anatase phase, and their particle size was between several nm and 30 nm showing ${\zeta}-potential$ of $-25{\sim}-35$ mV, being maintained stable for over 6 months. However, the $TiO_2$ sol added with Cr had a much lower value of -potential and larger particle sizes. The coated $TiO_2$ thin films had almost the same shape and size as those of the sol. The pure $TiO_2$ sol showed the highest optical absorption in the ultraviolet light region, and other $TiO_2$ sols containing $Cr^{3+},\;Fe^{3+}\;and\;Ni^{2+}$ showed higher optical absorption than pure sol in the visible light region. According to the experiments for removal of a gas-phase benzene, the pure $TiO_2$ film showed the highest photo dissociation rate in the ultraviolet light region, but in artificial sunlight the photo dissociation rate of $TiO_2$ coated films containing $Cr^{3+},\;Fe^{3+}\;and\;Ni^{2+}$ was measured higher together with the increase of optical absorption by doping.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.198-202
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• 2009

For use in ultrasonic actuators, we investigated the structural and piezoelectric properties of $(1\;-\;x)Pb(Zr_{0.515}Ti_{0.485})O_3$ - $xPb(Sb_{1/2}Nb_{1/2})O_3$ + 0.5 wt% $MnO_2$ [(1 - x)PZT - xPSN + $MnO_2$] ceramics with a variation of x (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08). All the ceramics, which were sintered at $1250^{\circ}C$ for 2 h, showed a typical perovskite structure, implying that they were well synthesized. A homogeneous micro structure was also developed for the specimens, and their average grain size was slightly decreased to $1.3{\mu}m$ by increasing x to 0.8. Moreover, a second phase with a pyrochlore structure appeared when x was above 0.06, which resulted in the deterioration of their piezoelectric properties. However, the 0.96PZT-0.04PSN+$MnO_2$ ceramics, which corresponds with a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition in the (1 - x)PZT - xPSN + $MnO_2$ system, exhibited good piezoelectric properties: a piezoelectric constant ($d_{33}$) of 325 pC/N, an electromechanical coupling factor ($k_p$) of 70.8%, and a mechanical quality factor ($Q_m$) of 1779. The specimens with a relatively high curie temperature ($T_c$) of $305^{\circ}C$ also showed a significantly high dielectric constant (${\varepsilon}_r$) value of 1109. Therefore, the 0.96PZT - 0.04PSN + $MnO_2$ ceramics are suitable for use in ultrasonic vibrators.