Application of Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) in the Investigation on Ferroelectrics

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) has the advantage of high sensitivity, excellent cooling system, flexible rotation testing part, multiple deformation mode, and continuous frequency and temperature scanning mode. DMA is able to characterize the strain response under alternating stress, creep, stress relaxation, and thermomechanical properties, which has application in the investigation of plastic, thermoset, composite, high elastomer, coating, alloy and ceramic. This paper briefly introduced the fundamental and method about DMA, the application of DMA in the investigation of ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transformation, low frequency relaxation, ferroelectric fatigue, and ferroelectric composite damping. In the measurement of relaxation behavior of PZT ceramics and single crystals, and BaTiO3 ceramics, DMA tended to be more sensitive than dielectric characterization especially in the low frequency range. DMA has been one of the critical instruments for ferroelecric investigation.