Doping Effect of Alkali Ions on the Microstructural and Electrical Properties of ZnO-Pr₆O₁₁-Based Varistor Ceramics

Abstract:

The microstructural and electrical properties of ZnO-Pr₆O₁₁-based ceramics fabricated with 97.5mol% ZnO + 0.5mol% Pr₆O₁₁ + 1.0mol% Co₃O₄ + 0.5mol% Cr₂O₃ + 0.5mol% MNO₃ (M=Li, Na, K, or Rb) were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the doping of alkali ions would inhibit the growth of ZnO grains in the as-prepared ZnO-Pr₆O₁₁-based ceramics, in which the addition of K⁺ ion showed the strongest effect. Through the analysis of electric field vs current density characteristics, it was found that the doping of Li⁺ ion into ZnO-Pr₆O₁₁-based ceramics would change the varistor into ohmic resistor, but the addition of Na⁺, K⁺ or Rb⁺ ion could improve the nonlinearity of the varistors, in which the addition of K⁺ ion resulted in the strongest improving effect.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 544)
• Pages: 213-218
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.544.213
• Online since: March 2013
• Authors: Zhi Jian Peng, Feng Jiang, Hai Feng, Xiu Li Fu
• Keywords: Alkali Ion, Doping, Electrical Properties, Pr₆O₁₁, ZnO Varistor

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