Experimental measurement of stress at a four-domain junction in lead zirconate titanate

MacLaren, I. , Schmitt, L. A., Fuess, H., Kungl, H. and Hoffmann, M. J. (2005) Experimental measurement of stress at a four-domain junction in lead zirconate titanate. Journal of Applied Physics, 97(9), 094102. (doi: 10.1063/1.1886910)

Abstract

A junction between two lamellar bands of ferroelectric domains in a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic is analysed using Kikuchi diffraction patterns in the transmission electron microscope. Indexing of the diffraction patterns allowed the determination of the 3D relative orientation of the 4 different domains at the junction and thus the characterisation of the domain boundaries. The local c/a ratio could also be determined from the misorientations at the domain boundaries. Analysis of the data showed that large stresses were concentrated at the junction, and that this is inevitable at such band junctions. Such stress concentrations could act as nuclei for cracking of the ceramic under additional loading in service, perhaps particularly as a consequence of extended electromechanical cycling. Moreover, the stresses would increase with increasing c/a making the issues all the more serious for Ti-rich compositions having larger c/a ratios.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Lead compounds, ferroelectric ceramics, electric domains, domain boundaries, cracks, internal stresses, electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: MacLaren, Dr Ian
• Authors: MacLaren, I., Schmitt, L. A., Fuess, H., Kungl, H., and Hoffmann, M. J.
• Subjects: T Technology > TN Mining engineering. Metallurgy; Q Science > QC Physics
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Research Group: Solid State Physics
• Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics
• Publisher: American Institute of Physics
• ISSN: 0021-8979
• ISSN (Online): 1089-7550
• Published Online: 18 April 2005
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2005 American Institute of Physics
• First Published: First published in Journal of Applied Physics 97:094102
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher