Experimental Investigation of Non-Linear Behaviour of PZT Piezoceramics at Low Temperatures

The complex, non-linear, irreversible, hysteretic behaviour of polycrystalline ferroelectric materials is the result of domain wall motion and correlates with the phase composition of the ceramic. This paper reports on our investigation of the ferroelectric polarization of PZT ceramics in dependence of temperature in the range between -175 and 150°C. We compare five commercial piezoelectric materials used in actuator applications. The obtained data, derived correlations, and material functions are very helpful for understanding the material properties in practical applications and give input values for temperature depended numerical hysteretic models [1].