Microwave calcination of lead-free piezoelectric materials of the BCZT system

• Grant number: 19/25921-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2020
• End date: May 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Rodolfo Foster Klein-Gunnewiek
• Grantee: Beatriz de Goes Foschiani
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/13769-1 - Multiferroic and ferroelectric materials for energy converters: synthesis, properties, phenomenology and applications, AP.TEM

Abstract

The importance of ferroelectrics materials with piezoelectric properties is known by many years for the world development. Beyond these materials, the lead titanate-zirconate (PZT) is well known material. However, because the containing of a heavy meal and toxic lead, the use of PZT has been more and more restricted. To supply the demand on these materials, lead-free materials has been researched and developed. However, it is a challenge to find new lead -free materials which shows all the characteristics to be applied, since the properties to the facility to process. Beyond the lead-free materials, the barium calcium titanate-zirconate (BCZT) is a promising material to replace the PZT due the high piezoelectric coefficient. However, the synthesized systems shows coarse powder or are very difficult ton sintering. Taking this in to account, the present work aims to synthesize assisted by microwave the BCZT b at different stoichiometries (BZT-xBCT, with x varying from 0,2to 0,8) based on polymeric precursor method. The microwave will be employed at the drying step of the resin and at the calcining step, by a very controlled and insightful way. The calcining is the main objective of this work. The results will be analyzed according the synthesis conditions to obtain the desired phase, aiming the future application. To this end, the scholarship holder will have contact with the synthesis and many characterization techniques of ceramic powders: ATD/TG, XRD, BET, SEM/TEM and dilatometry. The student will also have the opportunity to evaluate the stoichiometric effect on BCZT synthesis.