Microcracking and discontinuous fast switching as acoustic emission sources in 8/65/35 and 9.5/65/35 PLZT relaxor ferroelectrics

Microcracking, discontinuous switching, crystallographic phase transformation, internal discharges or surface friction of the macroscopic sample may be acoustic emission (AE) sources in ferroelectric ceramics. To reduce the number of possible AE sources, AE measurements were performed on hot pressed pore free well polished rhombohedral lead–lanthanum–zirconate–titanate (PLZT). Microcracking is the only AE source in electrostrictive PLZT 9.5/65/35, while in ferroelectric PLZT 8/65/35 fast domain kinetics also contribute to the observed AE pattern.