Thermal Expansion and Polarization Behavior in Lead Titanate/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposite Ceramics

Nanosized zinc oxide/lead titanate (ZnO/PT) ceramic matrix nanocomposites have been studied. Under an appropriate sintering condition, ZnO/PT ceramic nanocomposites were successfully fabricated by a pressureless sintering technique. Thermal expansion and polatization behaviors were determined by using the dilatometer. This technique measures the temperature-dependent of the strain, and the magnitude of polarization can be deduced from the sets of the thermal expansion data. The calculated electric polarization values on the ZnO/PT nanocomposite ceramics show the simple approach to determine the temperature dependence of the polarization below and around the transition temperature. Various aspects on understanding the polarization behavior and other effects in the ferroelectric are discussed.