Influence of particle size on the sintering behavior and high-power piezoelectric properties of PMnN–PZT ceramics

The sintering behaviors and high-power piezoelectric properties of four kinds of powders of Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Ti,Zr)O3 (PMnN–PZT) ceramics have been investigated. These powders are derived from ball milling and stirring milling, respectively. The results reveal that long time milling shrinks the powder particle size distributions and tends to decrease the sintering temperatures of the ceramic. The high-power properties of the ceramics are strongly affected by the applied powders. Vibration velocity, which is always characteristic of the high-power properties, can be enhanced for fine powder (0.37 μm) compared to coarse one (1.3 μm). Furthermore, the temperature rise is found to decrease significantly upon reduction in powder size. This trend has suggested that a higher vibration velocity and lower heat generation can be achieved by reducing the powder size. These phenomena can be explained by consideration of both combination of grain boundaries and effect of cavities.