Enhanced piezoelectric and mechanical properties of ZnO whiskers and Sb2O3 co-modified lead zirconate titanate composites

ZnO whiskers and Sb2O3 co-modified lead zirconate titanate (denoted as PZT/ZnOw/Sb2O3) piezoelectric composites were fabricated using a solid state sintering technique. The characteristic diffraction peaks of the PZT perovskite and ZnO phases were identified from all the composites, suggesting the retention of these individual phases. The grain size of PZT was found to be reduced with Sb2O3 addition. A high relative density of 96.5%–99.1% was achieved in PZT co-doped with ZnOw and Sb2O3. Both the piezoelectric and mechanical properties of the PZT/ZnOw/Sb2O3 composites showed significant improvement over the monolithic PZT. The intrinsic effects of ZnOw and Sb2O3 on the electrical and mechanical properties of the PZT/ZnOw/Sb2O3 composites were discussed.