Piezoelectric properties of low-temperature sintering Pb(Co1/2W1/2)O3-Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 ceramics with the sintering temperature and the amount of CuO addition

In this study, in order to develop the low-temperature sintering ceramics for multilayer piezoelectric transformer and ultrasonic vibrator applications, Pb[(Co1/2W1/2)0.02(Mn1/3Nb2/3)0.07(Zr0.48Ti0.52)0.91]O3 ceramics doped with CuO as sintering aid were manufactured according to the sintering temperature and the amount of CuO addition, and their micro-structural, dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated. CuO used as sintering aid was proved to lower the sintering temperature of piezoelectric ceramics due to the effect of Cu2O-PbO liquid phase. At the sintering temperature 980 °C, the density, grain size, electromechanical coupling factor (kp), mechanical quality factor (Qm) and dielectric constant (ɛr) of 0.3 wt.% CuO added specimen showed the optimum values of 7.84 g/cm3, 3.91 μm, 0.50, 1967 and 1357, respectively, for multilayer piezoelectric transformer and ultrasonic vibrator applications.