Origin of Reliable High-Power Performances of PbZr_0.5Ti_0.5O₃–Pb(Mn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-Based Piezoelectric Ceramics

High-power piezoelectric ceramics typically operate under severe conditions. This makes the accurate evaluation of their high-power performances through pure quasi-static parameters challenging. The 0.94PbZr_0.5Ti_0.5O₃ - 0.06Pb(Mn_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ + 0.005Fe₂O₃ + 0.002Sc₂O₃ (PZT-1) ceramic exhibits exceptional and reliable high-power performances at elevated temperatures and under loading conditions. While numerous PZT-based ceramics demonstrate excellent quasi-static parameters, only the PZT-1 ceramic displays superior high-field parameters, such as a low tan δ of 0.97% at 566 V/mm (1 kHz) and a large <i>Q</i>_m of 1164 at 50 V/mm (100 kHz). Therefore, the PZT-1 ceramic demonstrates remarkably slow heat generation and the highest surface temperatures are only 41.8 °C at 50 V/mm (100 kHz). Moreover, the PZT-1 ceramic shows a minimal resonance frequency variation of -0.04% in the temperature range of 25-120 °C at 50 V/mm. Consequently, the PZT-1 ceramic maintains a high and reliable vibration velocity of 0.90 m/s at 120 °C for 30 min, and the ceramic cantilever sustains a high amplitude of 7 μm, significantly outperforming other ceramics. This study conclusively demonstrates that high-field parameters, rather than quasi-static parameters, are more effective in accurately estimating the high-power performances of ceramics.