Antiferroelectric nanodomains in the vicinity of the morphotropic boundary in PZT-based coarse-grained ceramics

TL;DR

This paper investigates how local decomposition at phase boundaries in PZT ceramics influences their chemical composition and piezoelectric properties, highlighting the importance of thermoelectric treatment for enhancing performance.

Contribution

It reveals the role of solid solution decomposition near phase boundaries in PZT ceramics and demonstrates how thermoelectric treatment improves piezoelectric parameters.

Findings

Local decomposition causes chemical segregation at phase boundaries.

Thermoelectric treatment significantly enhances piezoelectric properties.

Segregates influence the local phase stability and properties.

Abstract

Results presented in this article demonstrate importance of taking into account such a phenomenon as the solid solution decomposition at the boundaries separating coexisting phases in lead-zirconate-titanate-based solid solutions with compositions belonging to the morphotropic boundary region of the "temperature-composition" phase diagram. It is shown that in the local decomposition of solid solutions in the vicinity of the boundaries separating the tetragonal and rhombohedral phases in lead-zirconate-titanate-based solid solutions lead to the changes of the chemical composition of the solid solutions and to the formation of segregates. It is also shown that the proper thermoelectric treatment of samples containing these segregates can give substantially higher values of piezoelectric parameters in the lead-zirconate-titanate-based compounds.