Investigation on the Microstructure and Electrical Properties of Low-Temperature Sintered CdCO 3 -Doped PSN-PZT Piezoelectric Ceramics

In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to the development of low-temperature fired multilayer piezoelectric ceramics to facilitate the minia turization and practical implementation of piezoelectric actuators. This paper rep orts a low-temperature sintered piezoelectric ceramic, 0.025Pb(Sb 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 -0.97 5Pb(Zr 0.53 Ti 0.47 )O 3 -0.5wt.%ZnO + x wt.%CdCO3, which was successfully fabricat ed at 950 °C. The ceramic exhibits excellent piezoelectric properties (d 33 = 44 0 pC/N) and a high Curie temperature (T c = 364 °C) when sintered at tempera tures below 1000 °C. Temperature-dependent property measurements reveal outs tanding temperature stability up to 250 °C. The good piezoelectric performance originates from its location in a multiphase coexistence region, while the favor able temperature stability supports its reliable application in medium-temperature ranges. Moreover, the sintering temperature below 1000 °C can significantly r educe industrial costs, and the use of effective sintering aids makes it suitable for co-firing with base metals.