• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.487-493
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• 2018

The impact of different mixing methods and sintering temperatures on the microstructure and piezoelectric properties of PZNN-PZT ceramics is investigated. To improve the sinterability and piezoelectric properties of these ceramics, the composition of $0.13Pb((Zn_{0.8}Ni_{0.2})_{1/3}Nb_{2/3})O_3-0.87Pb(Zr_{0.5}Ti_{0.5})O_3$ (PZNN-PZT) containing a Pb-based relaxor component is selected. Two methods are used to create the powder for the PZNN-PZT ceramics. The first involves blending all source powders at once, followed by calcination. The second involves the preferential creation of columbite as a precursor, by reacting NiO with $Nb_2O_5$ powder. Subsequently, PZNN-PZT powder can be prepared by mixing the columbite powder, PbO, and other components, followed by an additional calcination step. All the PZNN-PZT powder samples in this study show a nearly-pure perovskite phase. High-density PZNN-PZT ceramics can be fabricated using powders prepared by a two-step calcination process, with the addition of 0.3 wt% MnO2 at even relatively low sintering temperatures from $800^{\circ}C$ to $1000^{\circ}C$. The grain size of the ceramics at sintering temperatures above $900^{\circ}C$ is increased to approximately $3{\mu}m$. The optimized PZNN-PZT piezoelectric ceramics show a piezoelectric constant ($d_{33}$) of 360 pC/N, an electromechanical coupling factor ($k_p$) of 0.61, and a quality factor ($Q_m$) of 275.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.625-630
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• 2013

In this study, intermediate-mixed powders were prepared by loading zirconia powders initially in a ball-mill jar and loading alumina powders afterward; the initial-mixed powders were produced by loading zirconia and alumina powders together in the ball-mill jar. The effect of such differences in mixing method on the mechanical properties was investigated. In intermediate-mixed powders, the volume fraction of large particles slightly increased and, simultaneously, zirconia particles formed agglomerates that, due to early ball-mill loading of the zirconia powders only, were more dispersed than were the initial-mixed powders. For the intermediate-mixed powders, zirconia agglomerates were destroyed more quickly than were initial-mixed powders, so the number of dispersed zirconia particles rose and the inhibitory effect of densification due to the addition of a second phase was more obvious. In the microstructure of intermediate-mixed powders, zirconia grains were homogeneously dispersed and grain growth by coalescence was found to occur with increasing sintering temperature. For the initial-mixed powders, large zirconia grains formed by localized early-densification on the inside contacts of some zirconia agglomerates were observed in the early stages of sintering. The intermediate-mixed powders had slightly lower hardness values as a whole but higher fracture toughness compared to that of the initial-mixed powders.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.317-349
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• 1993

This study investigated the effect of filler particle size and weight% on mechanical properties of dental core porcelain. In alumina, variation in particle size and weight% and in zirconia, variation in weight%, all specimens were tested three-point bending strength, transmittance, thermal expansion coefficient, porosity and shrinkage and observed with SEM and analysed with X-ray diffractometer. In order to develop shrink-free porcelain, after firing alumina only, glass wasinfiltrated. And aluminum was added to alumina with the expanding character of aluminum oxidize into alumina, and was followed by second firing of glass infiltration procedure. Then mechanical properties were observed. The results of this study were obtained as follows. 1. The bending strength of zirconia was higher than that of alumina, and $5{\mu}m$ alumina had highest strength in variation of particle size of alumina. Except for $5{\mu}m$ alumina, increased with weight%, bending strength increased up to 80% and decreased at 90%. In case of glass infiltration, bending strength was slight higher than 80% and 90% of $5{\mu}m$ alumina. 2. Transmittance increased with increase of shrinkage, decrease of porosity, and with increase of filler size and had no direct correlation with weight%. 3. Thermal expansion coefficient of alumina group was $7.42\sim8.64\times10^{-6}/^{\circ}C$ and that of zirconia group was $9.83\sim12.11\times10^{-6}/^{\circ}C$ and the latter was higher than the former. 4. In x-ray diffraction analysis, alumina group and zirconia group increased $Al_2O_3$ peak and $t-ZrO_2$ peak with increase of weight%. The second phase(cristobalite peak) was observed in zirconia 40% group. 5. Porosity of zirconia was lower than that of alumina and $5{\mu}m$ alumina group had many pores with SEM. In case of low filler content, fracture occurred in glass and high filler content, in glass and filler. In case of aluminum addition to alumina, small oxidised aluminum was observed. 6. Zirconia group had high shrinkage than alumina group, and mixed group of alumina group had high shrinkage. In case of glass infiltration, shrinkage decreased and aluminum addition to alumina group was almost shrink-free.