Design of pyroelectric properties by controlling compositional distribution

Sintering of a mixture of different compositions generally causes a change in the compositional distribution in the starting material. Change in the compositional distribution during sintering was examined for normal sintering, hot pressing and spark plasma sintering (SPS). Only SPS method produced a highly sintered material without changing the initial compositional distribution. Combination of pyroelectric properties of different compositions was accomplished by SPS. A mixture of three compositions corresponding to pyroelectric materials having the peak at 0 °C, 25 °C and 50 °C were mixed and sintered by the normal sintering method. The normal sintering resulted in a pyroelectric material having single peak, due to the homogenization process during the sintering. Sintered material by SPS produced a material having pyroelectric peaks corresponding to the initial compositions. Combination of SPS and diffusion-treatment produced a pyroelectric materials having high pyroelectric coefficient in the temperature range between 25 °C and 50 °C.