Effects of sintering temperature on the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of Cd additive Sm-modified PbTiO₃ ceramics

(Pb_0.85-xCd_xSm_0.1)(Ti_0.98Mn _0.02)O₃, x = 0.01 - 0.08, were prepared by conventional mixed-oxide techniques, using sintering temperatures of 1075-1175 °C for 2 h. Microstructural and compositional analyses of these doped ceramics have been performed using XRD and SEM. The effects of sintering temperature on the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of Cd additive Sm-modified PbTiO₃ ceramics have been investigated. We successfully show that the Cd additive samples have maximum thickness electromechanical coupling coefficient, k_t (>0.56), at Cd = 2 mol% for a sintering temperature of 1150 °C, and still keep small planar electromechanical coupling coefficient, k_p. In other words, the preferred sintering condition was found.