Structural and impedance studies of copper-enriched (Cu0.75Ag0.25)7SiS5I-based ceramics

Abstract

Copper-enriched (Cu0.75Ag0.25)7SiS5I-based ceramics were prepared from the micro- and nanopowders by pressing and sintering under developed technological conditions. Structural studies at different process step stages of ceramic samples preparation were performed using the XRD technique and microstructural analysis. The frequency and temperature dependences of the total electrical conductivity for (Cu0.75Ag0.25)7SiS5I-based ceramics were investigated by the impedance measurements. From the Nyquist plots, by using the electrode equivalent circuits the ionic and electronic components of the total electrical conductivity were determined. It has been shown that both ionic and electronic conductivity nonlinearly depend on the average crystallites size of (Cu0.75Ag0.25)7SiS5I-based ceramics.

Keywords

• argyrodite
• superionic conductor
• ceramic
• ionic conductivity
• activation energy