Preparation and Properties of Lead Zirconate Stannate Titanate Sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering

Lanthanum-doped lead zirconate stannate titanate ceramics were successfully compacted to full density by spark plasma sintering (SPS). SPS samples densified at 900° or 950°C exhibit nearly full density and fine grain size (about 300 nm). Compared with samples from conventional sintering (CS), SPS samples show larger permittivity accompanied by a deterioration in dielectric loss and special strain hysteresis loops similar to those of ferroelectric relaxors, with a diffuse AFE–FE phase transition and less field-induced longitudinal strain. The differences in the properties of SPS and CS materials are attributed to the variations of the resultant microstructures, especially the grain size, of the ceramics.