Gel casting preparation and electrical properties study of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics
WANG Siyuan1, LIU Shengwen1, ZHANG Dou1, YUAN Xi2
1. Powder Metallurgy Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; 2. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Abstract：To meet the manufacturing requirements of piezoelectric ceramics with special-shaped structures, this study employed the gel casting process to fabricate Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) ceramics. The effects of dispersant dosage, solid content, and resin concentration on slurry rheological property, green body strength, and ceramic electrical properties were systematically investigated using rotational rheometer, universal mechanical testing machine, ferroelectric analyzer, impedance analyzer, quasi-static piezoelectric tester, and scanning electron microscope. The results show that when using ammonium polyacrylate as the dispersant, the slurry achieves the lowest viscosity at a dispersant content of 0.7% (mass fraction), with a viscosity of 201.05 mPa·s at 100 s-1, indicating optimal fluidity. When the solid content does not exceed 55% (volume fraction), the slurry exhibits favorable shear-thinning behavior, making it suitable for filling complex structures. The bending strength of the green body increases with the increase of resin concentration, reaching (41.79±5.49) MPa at a resin mass fraction of 25% and a solid volume fraction of 55%, meeting the demolding requirements for special-shaped green bodies. Using this formulation, with the ceramic sintered at 1 275 ℃ exhibits a dense structure with uniform grains, achieving a piezoelectric constant d33 of (618.36±5.65) pC/N, a relative dielectric constant εr of 2 455.41±33.16, and an electromechanical coupling coefficient kp of 0.62. The comprehensive performance is comparable to or even better than that of samples prepared by conventional dry pressing, and significantly surpasses that of 3D-printed samples. This study demonstrates that high-quality near net shaping of complex-shaped PZT ceramics can be achieved by optimizing the gel casting process parameters, providing an effective approach for the fabrication of special-shaped piezoelectric components.
王思源, 刘盛文, 张斗, 袁晰. Pb(Zr,Ti)O3陶瓷的凝胶注模制备与电学性能研究[J]. 粉末冶金材料科学与工程, 2026, 31(3): 267-282.
WANG Siyuan, LIU Shengwen, ZHANG Dou, YUAN Xi. Gel casting preparation and electrical properties study of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics[J]. Materials Science and Engineering of Powder Metallurgy, 2026, 31(3): 267-282.
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