Microstructure,dielectric and ferroelectric properties of barium zirconate titanate ceramics prepared by microwave sintering

Barium zirconate titanate ceramics were fabricated by microwave sintering. Effects of microwave sintering time on microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of barium zirconate titanate ceramics have been investigated. The result shows that the ceramic samples sintered at 2.5 kW for 15–30 min are single phase perovskite structure and there is no secondary phase observed. As the microwave sintering time extends, barium zirconate titanate ceramics become more uniform and the grain size increases. The data of dielectric properties indicate that the samples prepared by microwave sintering for 15–30 min are the ferroelectrics with diffuse phase transition and the diffuseness of phase transition weakens with the extending of microwave sintering time. As microwave sintering time increases, the remnant polarization increases initially and then decreases. Moreover, the remnant polarization and the coercive field of the samples sintered for 15 and 20 min decrease as measuring frequency increases, but the measuring frequency has little effect on ferroelectricity of the sample sintered for 30 min. The temperature dependences of hysteresis loops further prove that the samples are ferroelectrics with diffuse phase transition.