Microstructure Development of PZT Ceramics by Doping with Small Amounts of Al2O3, SiO2, and Fe2O3

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics are used in a wide range of applications as sensors and actuators. Typically, they are formulated by the mixed oxide route, using several mixing and milling steps. Due to wear, these processes introduce impurities into the ceramic mass, which on their part can strongly influence densification behaviour and final properties of the PZT. In this study, the effect of such impurities, such as iron oxide, alumina, and silica, on the sintering behaviour and microstructure development of PZT ceramic is evaluated. A commercial Nb-doped PZT powder was used and doped by adding Al2O3, SiO2, and Fe2O3 with an amount of up to 0.001mol%. Bulk samples were prepared and sintered in air. The mass loss, density, and grain size were correlated by regression analysis using the doping elements and levels, respectively. Due to the complex interactions between the oxides and the ceramic properties, the experiments were performed with the design-of-experiment method (DoE). The results showed a significant influence of these low amounts of doping levels on the microstructure development. Moreover, it was shown that doping after calcination affects the microstructure in a similar way to doping before calcination. Thus, a possibility to compensate concentration variations in the calcined ceramic mass is demonstrated, to homogenize the chemical composition and the final microstructure of the sintered PZT ceramic in the manufacturing processes.