Electrical and electromechanical properties of hot-pressed Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 ferroelectric ceramics

Dense ceramics of Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 with high resistivity were fabricated below 1000°C by making use of the hot-pressing technique. For these hot-pressed specimens, measurements of the spontaneous polarization, dielectric constants, electromechanical coupling factors, piezoelectric constants and elastic compliance constants were carried out as a function of temperatures between -30°C and 200°C. Temperature variations of the resistivity and linear thermal expansion were also studied. At room temperature, the following values were obtained: Ε33T/Ε0 = 2640, Ps = 11.3 μC/cm2, k33 = 0.266, d33 = 145×10-12 C/N and s33E = 12.3×10-12 m2/N. These values were briefly compared with those of BaTiO3 ceramics.