Mechanical behavior and electrical conductivity of zinc-oxide ceramics

Abstract

Ceramics sintered from zinc oxide powders, which differ in crystal structure, particle size and amount and type of impurities, have been studied for their mechanical behavior (strength and micromechanisms of biaxial bending at room temperature) and electrical conductivity depending on the purity of ZnO powder (99,9% byweight — type I and 99,5% byweight — type II) and its sintering temperature in the interval from 800 to 1250 ºC for 2 hours. It is found that the maximum values of strength and electrical conductivity are achieved in ZnO-ceramics sintered at temperatures of 1100—1200 and 1000—1150 ºC, respectively, and their micromechanism of fracture is the cleavage only. ZnO-powder developed (type II), being twice as large as the purchased (type I), 300—350 nm instead of 150—200 nm, provides close to 100% density at 1100 °C, the type II powder is sintering at almost 100 °C lower temperature than the purchased one. Type I ceramics provide biaxial strength at room temperature of 150—170 MPa; type II — 120—160 MPa. ZnO-ceramics from powders of both types provide maximum electrical conductivities of 8,54 10-3S/ cm and 1,6·10-3 S / cm at temperatures of 265 and 600 ºC, respectively. The activation energy of the electrical conductivity of ZnO-ceramics is dependent significantly on the properties of the powder and, accordingly, the structure of the ceramics and the test temperature. Type I ZnO ceramics have a lower conductivity activation energy than type II, 0,2—0,3 eVand 0,3—0,5 eV, respectively. The mechanism of electrical conductivity of ZnO-ceramics type I is practically unchanged in all the interval of testing temperatures, from the room one to 600 °C. In ZnO-ceramics of the type II, it changes at least twice. Keywords: zinc oxide, ZnO ceramics, sintering temperature, porosity, grain size, micromechanism of fracture, bending strength, electrical conductivity, activation energy.