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Electric‐Field‐Induced Crack Growth Behavior in PZT/Al 2 O 3 Composites
Author(s) -
Tajima Kenichi,
Hwang Hae Jin,
Sando Mutsuo,
Niihara Koichi
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.2000.tb01248.x
Subject(s) - lead zirconate titanate , materials science , composite material , composite number , grain boundary , scanning electron microscope , zirconate , electric field , grain growth , phase (matter) , coercivity , grain size , ferroelectricity , microstructure , titanate , ceramic , dielectric , condensed matter physics , physics , chemistry , optoelectronics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
Hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and PZT/Al 2 O 3 composites were prepared and the alternating‐electric‐field‐induced crack growth behavior of a precrack above the coercive field was evaluated via optical and scanning electron microscopy. The crack extension in the 1.0 vol% Al 2 O 3 composite was significantly smaller than that in monolithic PZT and the 0.5 vol% Al 2 O 3 composite. Secondary‐phase Al 2 O 3 dispersoids were found both at grain boundaries and within grains in the composites. A large number of dispersoids were observed at the grain boundaries in the 1.0 vol% Al 2 O 3 composite. It appears that the Al 2 O 3 dispersoids reinforce the grain boundaries of the PZT matrix as well as act as effective pins against microcrack propagation.