Mechanical And Electrical Properties Of Small Amounts Of In2o3 Reinforced Pzt Ceramics

Piezoelectric Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O-3 (PZT) ceramics with small amount (0.5-2.0 wt.%) of In2O3 were fabricated by the traditional sintering method. Effects of the additives on mechanical and electrical properties of the composites were investigated. The fracture strength and hardness of the PZT composites with In2O3 addition were significantly improved. The refinement of microstructure of the composites was considered to be responsible for the high mechanical properties. With the improvement of the mechanical properties, the electrical properties of these PZT/In2O3 composites were not degraded dramatically. As a consequence, the PZT/1.0 wt% In2O3 composites showed good mechanical and suitable piezoelectric properties for high power ceramic actuators.