Electromechanical properties of three experimental lead zirconate-lead titanate ceramic compositions

Three experimental piezoelectric compositions in the lead titanate-lead zirconate series have been produced, using conventional ceramic fabrication techniques. Long-period grinding of the constituents in ball mills made it possible to employ sintering temperatures lower than those previously reported, but there was some loss of lead oxide during« fabrication and impurity pickup during grinding was substantial. The finished ceramic samples proved difficult to pole, but development of a suitable poling technique yielded piezoelectric properties only slightly poorer than the best values reported in the literature for similar compositions, generally produced by more elaborate methods. Although some unexpected changes of composition during fabrication were observed, it was possible to draw some conclusions regarding the effect of minor chemical modification, including the addition of niobia, on the electromechanical properties.