Piezoelectric properties of low temperature sintering Pb (Co1/2W1/2)O3-Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3) O3-Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 ceramics with the sintering temperature and the amount of CuO addition

In this study, in order to develop the low temperature sintering ceramics for multilayer piezoelectric transformer and ultrasonic vibrator application, Pb[(Co1/2W1/2)(0.02)(Mn1/3Nb2/3)(0.07)(Zr0.48Ti0.52)(0.91)]O-3 ceramics using CuO as sintering aid were manufactured according to the sintering temperature and the amount of CuO addition, and their micro-structural, dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated. CuO used as sintering aid was proved to lower the sintering temperature of piezoelectric ceramics due to the effect of PbO-CU2O liquid phase. At 0.3 wt% CuO added specimen sintered at the low sintering temperature of 980degreesC, the density, grain size, electromechanical coupling factor (k(p)), mechanical quality factor (Q(m)) and dielectric constant (epsilon(r)) showed the optimum values of 7.84 g/cm(3), 3.91 mum, 0.50, 1967 and 1357, respectively, for multilayer piezoelectric transformer and ultrasonic vibrator application.