Experimental investigation of non-linear behaviour of PZT piezoceramics at low temperatures

The complex, non-linear, irreversible, hysteretic behavior of polycryst. ferroelec. materials is the result of domain wall motion and correlates with the phase compn. of the ceramic. This paper reports on our investigation of the ferroelec. polarization of PZT ceramics in dependence of temp. in the range between -175 and 150 DegC. We compare five com. piezoelec. 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 temp. depended numerical hysteretic models.