Uniaxial-stress effects in a 95/5 lead zirconate titanate ceramic

The response of a lead zirconate titanate ceramic to statically applied uniaxial stresses in the range 0–0.4 GPa has been investigated. The material studied was a niobium-doped composition with the chemical formula Pb0.99Nb0.02(Zr0.95Ti0.05)0.98O3. Properties measured as a function of stress include electrical charge release from poled specimens, ferroelectric hysteresis-loop behavior, macroscopic strains, and ultrasonic velocities. Data from the experiments exhibit anomalous behavior at low-stress levels (0.05–0.2 GPa). Comparison with similar data obtained under conditions of hydrostatic pressure indicate that the anomalies observed in the uniaxial-stress experiments are caused by domain-reorientation processes rather than by the ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase transition. This transition occurs at 0.32 GPa under hydrostatic-pressure conditions, but no evidence for it is seen in the uniaxial-stress measurements to 0.4 GPa. The relationship of the present results to other uniaxial-stress studies and to shock-wave studies on ferroelectric ceramics is discussed.