Mechanical behavior, properties and reliability of tin-modified lead zirconate titanate.

The influences of temperature and processing conditions (unpoled or poled-depoled) on strength, fracture toughness and the stress-strain behavior of tin-modified lead zirconate titanate (PSZT) were evaluated in four-point bending. PSZT exhibits temperature-dependent non-linear and non-symmetric stress-strain behavior. A consequence of temperature dependent non-linearity is an apparent reduction in the flexural strength of PSZT as temperature increases. At room temperature the average stress in the outer-fiber of bend bars was 84 MPa, whereas, for specimens tested at 120 C the average failure stress was only 64 MPa. The load-carrying capacity, however, does not change with temperature, but the degree of deformation tolerated by PSZT prior to failure increased with temperature