Effect of substitution of Pb on ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties BZT ceramics

Material series with compositional formula Ba1-xPbxTi0.90Zr0.10O3 was prepared by the conventional solid state reaction method. Pb content varied from 0 to 20 mol% in the steps of 5 mol%. Relative density and coercive field 'E-c' increases with increase in Pb content. The variation of E-c and the ratio of remanent to spontaneous polarization 'P-r/P-s' with temperature shows a ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition. Piezoelectric charge coefficient 'd(33)' was found to have significant improvement with increase in Pb content upto 10 mol%, while for higher Pb content it decreases. Thus, the effect of Pb substitution on the physical, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the prepared ceramics is discussed here. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.