Domain related non-linear effects in piezoelectric materials

Various piezoelectric, elastic and dielectric constants of typical soft and hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics have been determined as a function of applied AC field, DC bias field, pre-stress, temperature and frequency. Our results show significant non-linear effects and many of the effects are caused by extrinsic, or domain related effects. These effects include stress or field induced clamping and unclamping (de-ageing) of domain walls. The time dependence of the piezoelectric response has also been studied and our results provide evidence of thermally activated domain switching in piezoelectric ceramics. The use of Arrhenius type plots has led to the determination of average activation energies in typical PZT ceramics. We have found the activation energy to range between 0.29 and 0.32 eV in Navy Type I PZT ceramics and between 0.62 and 0.80 eV in Navy Type III ceramics.