Search

Thick film varistors based on the ZnO-Bi2O3-Sb2O3 system have been prepared by screen printing on dense alumina substrates. Different processing parameters like the paste viscosity, burn out and sintering cycles, green and sintered thickness, have been studied to improve the processing of ZnO-based thick film varistors. Starting powders were pre-treated in two different ways in order to control both the Bi-rich liquid phase formation and the excessive volatilization of Bi2O3 during sintering due to the high area/volume ratio of the thick films. Significant changes have been observed in the electrical properties related to the different firing schedule and selection of the starting powders.Se han preparado varistores basados en el sistema ZnO-Bi2O3-Sb2O3 en forma de lámina gruesa sobre sustratos de alúmina densa. Diferentes parámetros del procesamiento como la viscosidad de la pasta, los ciclos de calcinación y sinterización y el espesor en verde y sinterizado han sido estudiados para mejorar el procesamiento de los varistores basados en ZnO preparados en forma de lámina gruesa. Los polvos de partida fueron pretratados de dos formas diferentes con el objetivo de controlar la formación de la fase líquida rica en bismuto y la excesiva volatilización de Bi2O3 durante la sinterización debida a la alta relación área-volumen de las láminas gruesas. Se han observado cambios significativos en las propiedades eléctricas relacionadas con los diferentes ciclos de calcinado y con la selección de los polvos de partida.

The elastic strain of lead-free relaxor Ka(sub 0.5)Na(sub 0.5)NbO3-SrTiO3 ceramic system, induced by applied electric fields with amplitudes up to 40 kV/cm, is investigated. The electrostrictive coefficients are shown to be constant over a broad temperature range and similar to dielectric properties, independent of electric-field cycles, which suggest possible applications of this translucent, high-dielectric constant, and environmental-friendly ceramic system.

Complex dielectric properties of PbFe1/2Nb1/2)O3 ceramics were investigated in a broad frequency range from 100 Hz up to 90 THz. A broad dielectric anomaly was observed near the temperature of the ferroelectric phase transition (TC1=376 K). Below 1MHz, the anomaly is strongly influenced by conductivity of the sample, but higher frequency data taken up to 81 MHz reveal a broad and frequency independent peak at TC1 typical for a diffuse ferroelectric phase transition. Surprisingly, dielectric permittivity measured at 37 GHz exhibits a peak shifted by 25K above TC1, which indicates polar nanoregions with dynamics in microwave frequency region. A dielectric relaxation, which appears in THz region below 700 K, slows down towards TC1 and again hardens below TC2=356 K. This central mode drives both phase transitions, so they belong to order-disorder type, although the polar phonons exhibit anomalies near both phase transitions. In the paraelectric phase, infrared reflectivity spectra correspond to local Fm3m structure due to short-range chemical ordering of Fe and Nb cations on the B perovskite sites. Moreover, each polar phonon is split due to two different cations on the B sites. Recently, Manley et al. [Nat. Commun. 5, 3683 (2014)] proposed a new mechanism of creation of polar nanoregions in relaxor ferroelectrics. They argued, based on their inelastic neutron scattering studies of PMN-PT, that the TO1 phonon is split and interaction of both components gives rise to so called Anderson phonon localization, which can produce regions of trapped standing waves and these waves induce polar nanoregions in relaxors. We cannot exclude or confirm this mechanism, but we show that the splitting of polar phonons is a common feature for all complex perovskites with relaxor ferroelectric behavior and it can be also observed in canonical ferroelectric BaTiO3, where the soft mode is split in paraelectric phase due to a strong lattice anharmonicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exceptionally high dielectric constant was obtained by making use of the conductive percolative phenomenon in all-ceramic composite, comprising of Pb2Ru2O6.5 with high electrical conductivity denoted as the conductive phase and ferroelectric 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.35PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) perovskite systems. Structural analysis revealed a uniform distribution of conductive ceramic grains within the PMN-PT matrix. Consequently, the dielectric response in the PMN-PT-Pb2Ru2O6.5 composite follows the predictions of the percolation theory. Thus, close to the percolation point exceptionally high values of the dielectric constant were obtained—values higher than 105 were detected at room temperature at 1 kHz. Fit of the data, obtained for samples of different compositions, revealed critical exponent and percolation point, which reasonably agree with the theoretically predicted values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To check on the nature of the weak magnetic order in polycrystalline magnetoelectric Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 the X-band, Q-band, and far infrared electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra have been measured between 4 and 600 K and compared with magnetic susceptibility and magnetization data. The asymmetric line shapes can be simulated at higher temperature by thermally fluctuating superparamagnetic nanoclusters. The pronounced temperature dependence of the position of the spectra demonstrates the presence of an internal magnetic field which is small but nonzero even at room temperature, i.e., far above the antiferromagnetic transition. The electronic spin-spin exchange has been found to be in the terahertz range. The magnetization data reveal a weak ferromagnetism even above 300 K and a break in the temperature dependence of susceptibility at the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic strain of lead-free relaxor K0.5Na0.5NbO3–SrTiO3 ceramic system, induced by applied electric fields with amplitudes up to 40 kV/cm, has been investigated. The strain response, being similarly low (order of 10-5) as in the classical lead magnesium niobate relaxor, is shown to be of solely electrostrictive origin, as a pure quadratic relation holds between induced strain and electric polarization. The strain dependence on the SrTiO3 content is presented and discussed. Furthermore, electrostrictive coefficients are shown to be constant over a broad temperature range and, similar to dielectric properties, independent of electric-field cycles, which suggests possible applications of this translucent, high-dielectric constant, and environmental-friendly ceramic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]