Internal friction and dielectric measurements in lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics

Elastic modulus (Young's modulus M and shear modulus G) and internal friction Q(-1) are measured as a function of temperature from -180 degreesC to 500 degreesC in undoped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ferroelectric ceramics in the range of kHz and low frequencies (0.1 to I Hz). New phase transition temperatures at the morphotropic zone at low temperatures are determined from the elastic modulus minimum. Permittivity epsilon and dielectric loss tan(delta) are measured in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 10kHz. Both mechanical and electrical measurements allow the observation of relaxation peaks in the ferroelectric phase. The Arrhenius plots of all these results show that it is possible to investigate these relaxation processes using both experimental techniques.