Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of CuO-doped lead magnesium niobate-based relaxor ferroelectric ceramics

Abstract

In this work, we report the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of CuO-doped (1−x)[0.5573Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)O3-0.4427PbTiO3]-xBa(Zn1∕3Nb2∕3)O3 (PMNT-xBZN) relaxor ferrielectric ceramic samples with x=0.1725, 0.1925, 02125 and 0.2325, which were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction method. By introducing the CuO into PMNT-xBZN, the sintering temperature of this system is drastically lowered from 1280∘C to 1120∘C. The second pyrochlore phase, which is often generated during sintering at high temperature, is also inhibited. Meanwhile, broad dielectric peaks with strong dielectric relaxation characteristics are observed from −150∘C to 100∘C. Slim and slanted P-E hysteresis loops and purely electrostrictive strains with V-shape are obtained simultaneously in studied compositions from 30∘C to 150∘C. These results suggest that CuO could effectively lower the sintering temperature while maintaining the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PMNT-xBZN relaxor ferroelectric ceramics.

Keywords

• Pb(Mg1∕3Nb2∕3)O3 (PMN)
• relaxor ferroelectrics
• sintering additive
• ferroelectric
• electrostrain