Structural phase-transition region and electrical properties of Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 ceramics -: art. no. 034106

The phase structures, and dielectric and piezoelectric properties of three series of ceramic compositions in the Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O-3-Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O-3-PbTiO3 ternary system have been systematically investigated. The existence of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) line is proposed and a wide linear MPB region is verified. The contents of the coexisting rhombohedral and tetragonal phases vary irregularly along the MPB line, while the sole increase of PT with a fixed ratio of Ni/Zn leads to the decrease of the rhombohedral phase in the MPB region. Compositions on the Ni-rich side of the MPB line show better electrical properties than those on the Zn-rich side. The MPB composition of 0.56Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.14Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O-3-0.30PbTiO(3) was found to be with high values of epsilon(m) and d(33)(epsilon(m)=24 500 and d(33)=740 pC/N), which is superior to those of many reported ferroelectric ceramics. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.