Thermal degradation of relaxor-based piezoelectric ceramics

The effect of exposure to elevated temperatures on dielectric and piezoelectric properties near the morphotropic phase boundary is examined, and the mechanisms of thermal degradation involved as compared to normal ferroelectric materials are discussed. The thermal degradation of dielectric and piezoelectric properties was investigated for relaxor ferroelectric compositions in the (1-x)Pb(Mg_1/3Nb _2/3)O₃-(x)PbTiO₃ family near the morphotropic phase boundary. Degradations of the radial coupling factor piezoelectric charge coefficient and mechanical quality factor were observed to be less than expected based on the temperature dependence of the polarization