Structural and dielectric properties of (1-x)Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3-xGdMnO3 ceramics

Abstract Ceramics compositions (1-x)Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3-xGdMnO3 (x= 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, and 0.05) were synthesized by solid-state route and sintered at 1180 °C for 2 h. Structural, microstructural, and dielectric properties of the system were investigated. X-ray structural analysis of the materials confirmed their formation in a single phase with a tetragonal crystal structure. The PZT ceramics doped with 0.04 moles of GdMnO3 exhibited denser and finer microstructures, which produced a high relative density of 7.22 g/cm3 (~98% of the theoretic density). Scanning electron microscopy showed uniform distribution of grain and grain boundaries. Comparing with the undoped ceramics, the dielectric properties of the GM-doped PZT specimens are significantly improved. The maximum dielectric constant (εr=475324) and the minimum dielectric loss (6%) were observed for 0.04 moles of GdMnO3, which indicated that the PZT-GM ceramics are promising to lead to practical applications.