Effect of Sb-dopant on phase transitions and selected properties of lead zirconate ceramics

The effect of antimony dopant on AFE–FE and FE–PE phase transitions in the lead zirconate ceramics was investigated by differential thermal analysis, pyroelectric and dielectric measurements. The decrease of these phase transition temperatures was observed without change in width of temperature range in which the intermediate ferroelectric phase occurs. This effect is different from this one observed in the PbZrO3 ceramics with other heterovalent substitutions such as La3+, Ta3+ and Nb5+ previously studied. The effect of Sb-dopant on Pr(T) and ε(T) characteristics, and in particular low frequency dielectric dispersion in paraelectric phase is more detailed discussed.